Friends, Lovers, or Nothing
by The Yellow Rubber Ducky
Summary: Future fic. Percy and Annabeth go to college, and haven't talked in six years. What will happen after fate ties their strings back together again? Rachel is not the Oracle. Percy/Annabeth *Previously Sunday Mornings*
1. Moving

**AN: Hey guys, it's me again. This is a re-upload of Sunday Mornings. I changed it a bit, because many of the reviewers thought that Annabeth and Athena sounded a bit OC. So here it is, the new re-upload of Sunday Mornings.**

**NOTICE: I am now Eclipse of Athena, so please be aware of the change. **

**~Eclipse of Athena, Formerly Known as Thalia, Daughter of Zeus**

**

* * *

**

Annabeth's PoV:

I got off the plane in New York, taking my first breath of Manhattan air.

_So this is where I'm living now. Interesting, _I thought.

I had moved here to be closer to Olympus, seeing as I was still watching over the construction. I was still building there, making things that would last for thousands of years.

I walked down to the airport parking lot, where my gray Saturn Aura was parked. I had it shipped to New York **(AN: Yes, you can do that.) **before I left.

Sticking the key into the hole, I gunned the engines, and drove to my apartment, where my things would be waiting in boxes. _Unpacking, _I groaned, thinking of the mountain of boxes that would be in my apartment, waiting to be unloaded.

I sighed.

_I hate moving,_ I thought.

* * *

I arrive at my apartment at around noon, and start unpacking.

Five hours later, I'm almost done, and the apartment looks "okay". I do some decorating, putting pictures on top of cabinets, and memories flood into my head.

I see a picture of Thalia and I, taken when she came to visit during her break from the Hunters. The black haired girl was smiling brightly, looking happy.

I suddenly realized that I was now six years older than her- twenty-two.

I smiled, touched her face on the picture, missing my old friend. She'd come to visit last Christmas, but I hadn't heard from her since.

I rifled through the pictures again, sitting down, wanting to reflect on old memories.

I found a picture of Grover, Clarisse, and I. Clarisse had become a good friend of mine, after we set aside our differences. We kept in touch often, emailing each other at least twice a week.

I planned to visit her tomorrow night, seeing as she moved to Albany, New York a few months ago.

Clarisse was happily married with Chris, and I felt happy for the two, and thought they were a pretty good match. I attended her wedding, willingly. She'd changed over the years, and was a tiny bit softer.

As for Grover, he was still finding half-bloods, and helping save the environment. He was recently engaged to Juniper, proposing a few weeks ago. He told me via. Iris-Message, with a blushing Juniper at her side.

I congratulated them, and Juniper had asked me to be her bridesmaid.

Surprised?

I was.

I'd never been a bridesmaid before, but Juniper filled me in, telling me what I should do, etc, etc.

The wedding was to be in a few weeks, right in Camp Half-Blood. I was quite happy for them, and excited at the prospect of attending a wedding in Camp Half-Blood.

I sat on my couch, bored, wondering what I should do.

* * *

I grabbed a bite to eat at McDonalds, seeing that there was one across the street.

I sat on the couch, eating, watching TV, when I saw the most shocking thing ever.

Percy.

Seaweed Brain.

On TV.

It was an entertainment channel, a channel I didn't think I'd see him on. I'd usually expect him being on the news or something, causing an explosion or something.

But no.

He was on the E!, smiling at the camera crookedly, carrying a small boy in his arms.

I was staring at the now-grown up Seaweed Brain, with a broad, muscular built, with his hair still messy and black, with the same seagreen eyes that I loved. Honestly, I thought he looked pretty hot.

Wait-what the Hades did I just say?

I thought Seaweed Brain was hot? I need to get my head checked. The Manhattan air was making my head funny.

I looked at the picture again, amazed at how much Seaweed Brain had grown since I last saw him, just six years ago. I was seventeen, and he was eighteen. It was the last day of camp, three years after the Titan War. We'd both decided to go to college, but I chose to go to Yale in Connecticut, and he went to Cornell University in New York, where I think he went to study ocean and sea animals, and how to take care of them or something.

Then why was he on the E!, then? If he was just studying water animals, then he really has no need to be on the E!.

I kept staring at his broad form, and the only words I heard from the TV were; _Jackson....son....argues....career....divorce..._what- divorce? I looked eagerly at the TV, but the TV annoucer was now saying some crap about Perez Hilton.

I scowled, and switched the channel to the History Channel, where there was a special about the greek gods.

The program continued for another hour, and I smiled at every wrong fact the mortals said about the gods.

I finally got tired, and decided to fall asleep.

* * *

**AN: That's that. Sorry if it wasn't what you expected.**

**I know I probably didn't do any better than last time, but it's a start. I think.**

**~Eclipse of Athena, formerly Thalia, Daughter of Zeus**


	2. Seeing

**AN: Hey guys, it's me again. I'm like that stink on your foot that'll never go away, eh? :D Jayk is a variation of Jake, but I wanted to mix it up a bit. 'Cause I'm cool that way. :D**

**~Eclipse of Athena**

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

The next morning, I drove to a Panera Bread a few blocks away.

I walked inside the little café, and ordered a Cinammon Crunch bagel and a coffee, and sat next to the window.

Outside, it was dark and cloudy, as if the sky was threatening to rain. I smiled in spite of myself, suddenly remembering the Lord of the Sky. "Who made you mad, Lord Zeus?" I muttered to myself, grinning. I laughed lightly, imagining Zeus all angry and red, making it rain somewhere in Manhattan.

The humor made my day, and it seemed everything brightened up, well, except for the sky of course.

I sat in silence, taking out my laptop, looking over my shoulder every now and then to make sure no one could see the blueprints not made for mortal eyes.

Suddenly, a huge mass of people came running, and I snapped the laptop shut. They seemed to be carrying cameras, snapping away at a man who was running for dear life. As they got closer, I saw that the man was carrying a little boy.

The manager of the little café ran to the door, waving at the running man and the boy.

"Come on, man!" the manager yelled, and the man ran into the café, putting the boy down, panting. The manager locked the door behind him, leaving all of the camera people outside.

"Thanks...Jayk," puffed the man.

The man, oddly enough, was Seaweed Brain. My jaw dropped, and I stared at him. He looked justl ike he did in the picture on E!, this time wearing a plain white v-top shirt, some holey jeans, and brown flip flops.

The shirt clung tightly to his muscles, and I blushed, unable to control myself.

I clenched my fists and tore my eyes away from him, pretending to be occupied with my coffee cup.

"Thanks Jayk. Those idiots wouldn't go away. I can't believe they're making such a big deal out of this," muttered Percy to the manager. "No prob, Perce. I'm always here whenever you need me, pal," said Jayk.

"Mind if we stay here for a bit, like, until they go away?" asked Percy, and Jayk nodded. "Of course, big guy. Stay as long as you like. Want breakfast?" he asked.

Percy turned to the little boy standing next to him.

"D'you want breakfast here, Ben?" he asked, picking up the little boy. "Yes," said the boy. They walked over to the menu, reading it.

I stared at the boy, who looked like a mini-me of Percy. He had the same messy black hair, same seagreen eyes, and the same face structure. You could say that he looked like Percy as a baby.

"You want a bagel, Ben?" asked Percy. The little boy, who I guessed was named Ben, nodded, and asked, "Awnd a hawt chocowate?" I smiled, loving Ben's little kid accent.

Percy laughed, also amused by the boy's words.

"Sure, son," he said. _Son? _I thought.

When they turned around, I turned my head, facing the window, taking a sip out of my coffee. "They're still there," groaned Percy, looking at the crowd of people outside the window.

"Yeah. They're overreacting. I mean, what does it mean to them? The hottest man and woman are getting a divorce, and they think the world is going to end or something," said Jayk.

_The hottest man? The hottest woman? _I thought.

"There's another, Jayk. But I don't know where she is anymore," Percy muttered.

"Oh, I know how you feel, man. I hear ya'. So what can I get you, gentlemen?" asked Jayk. "Er...we'll get two cinnamon crunch bagels and one 'hawt' chocolate, and one coffee," he said. I smiled a little, hearing Ben's pronounciations of hot.

"Okay. It'll be eight bucks," said Jayk.

"Doesn't it cost more?" asked Percy.

"Hey, I'm the boss. And you're my friend, compadre," said Jayk, smiling. Percy laughed, and handed Jayk his credit card. Jayk swiped it on the machine and handed it back to Percy. "'Kay, your food will be out in a minute," said Jayk, and Percy and Ben went to sit down. I hid my face quickly, trying to avoid being seen.

Why?

I'm not sure.

With my luck, Percy and Ben sat two tables down.

Five minutes later, Jayk brought their food out, setting it in front of them. "Here's your 'hawt' chocolate, Benji-boy," said Jayk. Ben smiled at Jayk. "Benji?"

Jayk smiled, and walked back to the counter.

"Need help with that, Ben?" asked Percy. Ben handed him his bagel, and Percy cut it, putting some cream cheese on it.

"Thanks, Daddy," said Ben. Percy smiled at his son, and in his eyes, I could see a bit of pain.

"No problem, Ben," said Percy. They ate for a while, and Ben piped up. "Whawt awe we gowna do towday?" he asked, and Percy shrugged. "I don't know. What do you want to do?" Percy asked.

Ben thought about it for a moment, and perked up.

"Can we gow to the beach?" he asked.

Percy smiled knowingly. "Montauk?" he asked. Ben nodded, grinning. "Of course, buddy. We'll go to Montauk," said Percy, patting his son on the back.

Ben grinned some more, and chomped on his bagel.

Percy stared at him, his eyes sad.

Then he looked up, right at me, and I froze, blushing. I whipped my head around, facing the window, but I could tell his gaze was on me.

"Something wrong, Daddy?" I could hear Ben ask. I heard a chair scrape against the floor, and my heart stopped.

"Annabeth Chase?" asked a voice behind me.


	3. Calling

**AN: Hey guys! I'm soooo sorry I haven't updated in FOREVER!!**

**NOTE: I changed the age- Percy is 24 and Annabeth is 23.**

**~Eclipse of Athena**

**

* * *

**

Annabeth's PoV:

I froze, trying not to look at him.

"Annabeth, is that you?"

I couldn't resist. I turned to look at him, my face as red as a tomato. "Percy," I smiled weakly.

"Annabeth!" he grinned, and gave me a hug. Under normal circumstances, I would've pried myself off of his grip, but actually, I missed the now big guy.

"How are you, Seaweed Brain?" I asked, squeezing him tightly.

"I'm fine, Wise Girl. You?" he asked, grinning at me. His green eyes shined brightly, filled with energy. "I'm fine. What've you been up to? That crowd looks pretty anxious, to me," I said.

He looked pointedly at his flip-flops, turning red.

"Heh- about that," he started.

"Daddy! Who's dat?" I heard Ben ask. Percy turned around, as if realizing for the first time that his son was there. "Oh- Annabeth- this is my son, Benjamin. Ben for short," he said, introducing me.

"Hi, Ben. I'm Annabeth," I said, crouching down to the little boy's level.

He smiled at me, his eyes shining like Percy's.

"Hi, Anniebeth," he said. I smiled, and Percy chuckled. "How old is he?" I asked, looking at Ben. "He's three. Born December 3rd," Percy said, also looking at Ben.

"Oh, that's nice," I said.

"So what've you been up to? I saw you on the E! last night," I said. Percy blushed, which I thought looked pretty cute- I mean, funny. Did I say cute? I meant funny....yeah. Err...

"Well- it's just some nasty comment. It's nothing- I think. So....what have you been up to?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"I'm still overlooking the construction of Olympus," I said.

"Still? Expanding?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "Expanding," I answered. He nodded. "When are you going up there? I haven't gone in a while," he said.

"This afternoon. My mom wants me for something," I said.

"Mm. I've gone to my dad's palace three times in the last few years. He's in contact with me, but we don't meet much," he said, sounding a bit sad. I understood him. He was pretty down about his dad not wanting to see him very often. But gods are gods, and goddesses are goddesses.

"Well, we'd better be off. Ben wants to go to Montauk," he said.

"The beach where your mom took you to all the time?" I asked. He nodded, and smiled. Then, his expression turned into some kind of realization, and he grabbed a napkin from the dispenser.

He took out a pen and scrawled something on it.

"Here's my number. We should get together some time. Y'know- catch up on the four- six years we've lost," he said, handing me the napkin. I took it, ripped the bottom part off, and scrawled my number on the bottom. I handed my number to him, and smiled. "Yeah- we should," I said.

"Mhmkay," he said, and picked up Ben.

"It's nice seeing you Annabeth. I guess I'll see you around though- right?" he asked. I nodded, and waved to Ben. "Bye, Ben. Bye, Percy," I said. Ben grinned at me, and said, "Bye Anniebeth." I smiled, and they left.

As soon as the now grown-up Seaweed Brain walked out the door, I suddenly felt empty. Like a chunk of me had been taken away.

I stared out the door, watching them walk away.

* * *

I visited Olympus that day, and returned to my apartment.

I emptied my pockets on to the kitchen table, and saw the napkin that Percy had scribbled his number on.

Curious, I dialed the number on my iPhone, and pressed it against my ear.

"Hello?" asked Percy.

"Hi, Percy. It's me, Annabeth. Um- about your offer...."

* * *

**A/N: Please don't start screaming at me. I know it's short. But it leads up to the next chapter.**

***braces self for punches***

**~Eclipse of Athena**


	4. Asking

**AN: Hey guys! I wanna thank the people who reviewed last chapter (Non-Registered not included); **

**Thalia Castellan, Demi-God Daughter of the Sea, and percabethgirl13!**

**There were a bunch of others, but those weren't registered users.**

**Special thanks to Demi-God Daughter of the Sea, for suggesting something that gave me an idea! Thanks a bunch!**

**~Eclipse of Athena**

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

_"Hello?" asked Percy._

_"Hi, Percy. It's me, Annabeth. Um- about your offer...."_

"Oh, yeah!"

"Yeah...so when would be a good time?" I asked nervously. Percy was silent for a moment, and perked up. "Why don't you come to Montauk with Ben and I? It's usually half-empty during this time," he said. I could practically hear him grinning.

I smiled.

"That'd be great!"

"Sweet, so what time do you wanna head over there?" he asked. In the distance, on his side, I could hear Benjamin talking away, in his adorable little-boy talk.

"Around one?" I asked, checking my watch.

"Perfect! You know how to get there, right?" he asked. "Yeah."

"Okay, we'll see you there, then!" he said.

"Okay, bye!" "Bye!"

* * *

At around twelve, I put my silver bikini on, under a gray Yale t-shirt and blue sports shorts.

I tied my hair back in a ponytail, and checked myself in the mirror, grabbing a plain white towel.

"Well, here goes nothing," I muttered under my breath, walking down to the parking lot, where my Saturn Aura was waiting for me. I gunned the engines and drove to Montauk, where Percy and I used to go all the time, before...before we...nevermind.

* * *

There was only one car parked there, a dark blue BMW parked casually along the beach, next to the cabins.

"Annabeth!" I heard a voice behind me say, as I got out of my car.

I turned around, smiling. Percy was running towards me, Ben in his arms. "Hi, guys!" I said cheerfully, waving at him and Ben. Percy wore dark blue swim trunks, and Ben wore some brown/white ones.

"Hi Anniebeth!" smiled Ben, waving back.

Percy laughed, and gave me a one-armed hug.

"C'mon, Daddy! Let's gow in dew water!" said Benjamin, and Percy nodded. "Ready, Wise Girl?" he smirked, resorting back to my old nickname. "As ready as I'll ever be, Seaweed Brain," I laughed, and we ran to the water, Ben running in front of us.

"Anniebeth, look what I can do!" Ben shouted, and he dived into the water. He came up all dry, and smiled. "Now look!" He went back underwater, and came back up soaking wet.

I stared in amazement, as Percy smiled knowingly.

"He inherited your powers?" I asked. He nodded, and smirked evilly. "What are you going to do?" I asked nervously. Percy splashed me with water, and I splashed him back. We had a water fight, even though he won, because this was his father's domain.

We laughed and laid out towels on the sand. Ben was happily playing with some Nereids, laughing.

"Soo..." said Percy softly, looking out into the sea.

"We've got six years worth of catching up to do, don't we?" he asked, smiling at me. My heart leaped, like it always had when we were younger, before we went to college. His seagreen eyes and his crooked, charming smile never failed to impress me.

"Yeah," I whispered.

"So let's start from the beginning, then. How was college?" he asked, running his fingers through his hair.

I told him about Yale, my architecture (A/N: How come I can spell this on Fanfiction, but not on my test??) course. He listened patiently, while keeping an eye on Ben.

"Interesting..." he murmured.

"So what about you? Did that ocean animal course work out for you?" I asked, turning towards him. He nodded. "It was easier than I thought. My dyslexia died down a little, which really helped with my studying. My roomate helped me now and then. Jayk, the manager of Panera Bread on East 23rd," he said.

"I finished in half the time expected. Even the professor said it was like I knew everything about them," Percy laughed. "So it worked out fine, then?" I asked. He nodded, smiling. "I got a job as a oceanographer. It's a decent job- I get paid a ton of money for something I enjoy doing. It's pretty nice."

I smiled, "So why did I see you on the E!, then?" Oops. Bad timing, Annabeth. Bad timing. *face palm*

Percy became sober, not meeting my eyes.

"The ocean animal course worked out. It's just that..."

"Who's his mother?" I pressed, knowing I already had gone too far to back up. He knew what I was talking about. Ben. He swallowed. "We're divorced now," he said, his voice tight. "Who's the mother?" I repeated. Percy looked up, his seagreen eyes full of regret, remorse, and hurt.

"Rachel."

* * *

I could've stayed frozen for eternity. But I didn't and I forced myself to stay conscious.

* * *

**A/N: I know Rachel became the Oracle in the fifth book, and I got many reviews concerning that, but to them; Did it ever occur to you that I wasn't putting the fact that Rachel was the Oracle in this story??**


	5. Keying

**AN: Hey guys! I just used a file from another story, and made this chapter, 'cuz my Doc. Uploader is *makes farting noise***

**To answer Nikki J., there's nothing wrong with non-registered reviewers, it's just that I like to be able to talk to my reviewers, and for non-registered people, it makes it hard to contact them.**

**Thanks to (Yes, I'm mentioning the non-registered users :l): Defiatos the Hated Bastard, lexi10a, Demi-god Daughter of the Sea, Kate319, puffin097, Athena's Assassin, PJO Writers Inc., Annon E. Mus, futuremrs. taylord. lautner, mesz, enclosure123, and last but not least, Nikki J. As of 9/5/09.**

**Special thanks to enclosure123! You'll see why in a minute.**

**I know that Rachel ****_did _in fact become the Oracle in TLO, but in my story, there will be no reference to it. Just pretend she didn't. 'Kay?**

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

We sat in silence, and Percy watched me reverently.

"Why?" I asked suddenly. Percy looked taken aback.

"Why what?"

"You know what I'm asking." He nodded, and he opened his mouth to speak. Suddenly, his phone rang. _"It's no surprise I won't be here tommorow..." _His ringtone sang.

He looked at me uncomfortably.

"Answer it," I said, not looking at him.

He nodded, and pressed 'talk'.

"Hello?" he asked, his voice dull. I could hear shouting on the other line. He winced, the voice blaring in his ear.

"Dare- I have the right to take my son wherever I want," he said coldly. I froze. Rachel? He was talking to Rachel? I could hear a shrill voice from the other side, and Percy's expression became one of rage.

I decided to go into the water, to play with Ben.

"Why the Hades would you do that?!" I could hear Percy ask. I carried Ben, swung him onto my back, giving him a piggy-back ride, wading in the water.

"Okay, fine. You do that. But the house and Ben are mine. You've got enough fucking money to buy your own house," Percy growled. "No, Ben is staying with me!"

Ben's ears perked up, and he turned towards his father. "No, no, Ben. You don't want to listen. Trust me," I said, and Ben looked at me.

"Who should I stay with?"

The question confused me.

"What do you mean, Ben?" I asked.

Ben's grip on my shoulders tightened. "Daddy and Mommy are argooing. I can heaw them. I don't know whow I should stay with. Daddy wants to stay with me, and Mommy does too. Who sold I pick, Anniebeth?" he asked me, his eyes desperate for an answer.

I sighed.

"Your dad is a nice man. I knew your mother, too. But I didn't like her much. But that's just me," I said. Ben nodded.

"Let Ben decide," I could hear Percy say, his voice cold. He pressed a button on his phone, and put it on the towel. He walked towards the water, his eyes saying, _"Can we talk about that later?"_

I nodded.

Percy threw on a forced smile, and took Ben off from my back.

"Thanks," he said. Probably talking about Ben.

"No problem."

We played around with Ben for a while, and almost completely forgot about the awkward conversation on the sand.

It was getting late, and I had to be at Olympus early tommorow. "I've got to go, Percy. I have to get up early tommorow," I said. He nodded. "Okay. Oh-hey," he said, and I stopped walking to my car.

"Maybe we can go for dinner or something. Y'know, just us. We-" he paused, running his fingers through his messy black hair. "We didn't get enough time to talk. We covered one year, but we've got five more to go," he said, smiling.

I nodded. "That would be nice."

"I'll call you, and we'll see what we can do, okay?" he asked.

"Okay," I said cheerfully, and waved at Ben and Percy.

"Bye," he said.

"Bye, Anniebeth!!!" yelled Ben. I giggled. "Bye, guys!"

* * *

Percy's PoV:

The car ride home was enjoyable. Ben was laughing, which made me happy. I felt bad for him, knowing that he was being torn between Rachel and I.

"Daddy, can we stop at McDonalds?" asked Ben.

"Sure, Ben." I drove to the McDonalds near our loft, and ordered chicken nuggets for Ben. "_It's no surpri-" "Oh, gods," _I muttered, and checked the caller ID.

Rachel.

I pressed ignore, and continued driving.

"So what did you think of Montauk, today, Ben?" I asked casually. "I lov-lovh-" "Loved it?" I asked, finishing the sentence. "Yeah."

We arrived at the loft, and my heart sank. My ex-wife was standing on the driveway, her arms crossed.

"Stay in the car, Ben. You can eat your food if you want, just stay in the car," I said, my tone hard. Ben nodded, and opened his Happy Meal. I got out of the car, ready to brace myself for the Fury-like woman in front of me.

She took a deep breath- _Oh gods, here she goes with the "Why the heck were you-" sentence._

"I thought you said you weren't coming back," I said, cutting her off.

Her eyes narrowed in that intimidating way of hers.

"I came to pick up Ben. He's going to be staying with me from now on," she said. I frowned. "No, he's staying with me," I said defiantly. She growled, and looked like she was about to jump me.

I crossed my arms.

"You've got enough slut in you to get another kid. This one's mine," I snapped.

Her jaw dropped, and she fired up.

"How dare you, Perseus Jackson!"

"Two words;" I said, holding up my fist. "Go- away," I commanded, counting the words off my fingers. "I'm taking Benjamin with me," she snapped. "No you're not," I said, blocking her way to my car.

"Get out of my way, Jackson," she snapped, trying to force her way past me.

"Dare, he needs me!"

"He needs me, too, Jackson!" she yelled.

"He's a half-blood! I know more about half-bloods than you ever will," I growled. _"Shut up, and put your money where your mouth is! That's what you get for waking up in Vegas!" _her ringtone sang.

She paused, looking at the caller ID.

She looked at me, her eyes steely cold.

"This isn't over, Perseus," she grumbled, and walked to her red Corvette. I took out my spare keys from my pocket, and as she backed up, I keyed her car.

I grinned in satisfaction, and went back to my car to take Ben out.

Ben had finished his chicken nuggets and fries, and was sipping loudly out of his chocolate milk. "Come on, buddy," I said, and carried him out of the car.

I wished I could take a picture of Rachel staring at the long scratch on her brand new Corvette. I chuckled to myself, and walked inside the loft.


	6. Flirting

**AN: Wow, thanks SOO much for the reviews; lexi10a, You Know Who, the silver hunters, GroverXAnnabethXD, enclosure123, Puffin0997, Thalia Castellan, Defiatos the Hated Bastard, PERCABETHGIRL-12, Nikki J., and leperchaunsarekronos'sservants!**

**(Those are in order as I saw them) As of 9/8/09.**

**I've received many requests to make the chapters longer. I'll try!**

**Also, I've recieved many ideas. You guys have good brains! You never know, I may use one of your ideas. *winks***

**I'm sooo sorry I haven't updated quicker, but I've been studying for a test, and our first dance is this Friday!**

**~Eclipse of Athena**

* * *

Percy's PoV:

The next day, I cooked Ben fried eggs, bacon, and hash browns.

"What do you want to do today?" I asked him, as he sleepily sat down at the table. He shrugged.

I watched him eat is breakfast, smiling as his eyes drooped. "Didn't get enough sleep?" I asked him, and he nodded. "If you want, you can go back to sleep after you eat," I said. He shook his head, scratching his eyes.

I walked to my room, deciding to change while he ate his breakfast.

As I walked back to the kitchen, Ben looked at me.

"Can I visit Grandma Sawwy?"

"Grandma Sally?" I asked. He nodded, and I grinned. "Of course you can visit Grandma Sally," I said, and he smiled, and continued eating his breakfast.

_"It's no-" _I checked the caller ID on my phone. Annabeth.

"Hello?" I asked.

'Hi, Percy! It's Annabeth. Listen- um- do you want to go for dinner tonight? I don't have any plans, so I was just wondering," she said, and I looked towards Ben.

"Sure. What time?" I asked.

"Is seven okay?" "Yeah, that's perfect. Do you want me to pick you up?" I asked.

"Would that be okay?"

"Totally. How 'bout we go to Johnny Carino's?" I asked. "Sure. So I'll see you at seven, then?" she asked. "Yeah," I said, and we said our goodbyes.

I dialed my mom's number.

"Hey, Mom," I said.

"Oh, Percy! It's been so long!" she crooned. I laughed lightly.

"Can you watch Ben for me? He's been wanting to see you, and I need someone to watch him because I'm going somewhere tonight," I said. "Of course, honey! I would love to watch my grandson," she said.

"Great, thanks, Mom," I said.

"What time do you want to drop him off?" she asked. "I don't really know. When do you want him?" I asked. "Is five okay?"

"That's perfect. I'll drop him off at five, then," I said.

"Okay. Bye. Percy- I love you," she said. I smiled, my heart lifting. "I love you, too, Mom. Bye," I said, and hung up.

* * *

I drove Ben to my mom's house.

As soon as we parked, Ben jumped out of the car, and ran to the door. He rung the doorbell before I was even out of the car. The door opened, and my mom appeared.

"Ben! Percy!" she squealed, and I laughed, giving her a hug. She picked up Ben in her arms. "I'd better get going. I need to get something," I said. She nodded. "Say 'hello' to Paul for me, will you?" I asked. She nodded again. "Bye," she and Bed said simultaneously.

I got back into my car and drove to a parking lot to think.

After about ten minutes of hard thinking, an idea came to me.

I drove to a plant store. _Perfect_, I thought.

* * *

When I got back home, I quickly changed. It was six-thirty.

I put on a dark green shirt and jeans, and got back in the car, driving to the address that Annabeth had given me. I knocked nervously on the door.

A few seconds later, Annabeth appeared, and my jaw dropped. She didn't wear a dress, but she wore a nice gray top, jeans, and flip-flops. "Hi!" she said, smiling vividly.

Under my arm, I carried a plant.

"Here's a little house-warming gift," I said, grinning. "Oh, Percy! Thank you!"

"It's a Money Tree/Plant. It's supposed be a symbol of prosperity, or something," I said, handing the small plant to her. She set in on her kitchen table, and grabbed her purse.

"Ready?" I asked. She nodded, locking her door. We went down to the parking garage, where my dark blue BMW was waiting. "So where's Ben?" asked Annabeth.

"At my mom's place," I said.

"Your mom? I haven't seen her in a while," she said, and we got in the car. We talked about miscellaneous stuff, and when we finally reached Johnny Carino's, we were starving.

We got seated. The waitress was flirting heavily with me, and I tried very hard not to get close to her.

"What can I get for you to drink?" asked the waitress. I gestured for Annabeth to go first. The waitress looked angrily at her. "I'll get a Coke," she said, scanning the menu. "I'll take a Coke, too," I said. "Okay," said the waitress, and leaned close to me.

"If you need anything," she whispered huskily, "just call." I scooted away quickly, and the waitress looked disappionted, and left.

I pretended that nothing happened, and put my menu off to the side. I already knew what I wanted.

"What's good?" she asked, pushing a strand of hair away from her face.

I grinned. "Everything is. What's your favorite Italian food?" I asked, leaning forward. She thought for a second. "I guess I like Fettucine Alfredo," she said.

"That's good here. I'm getting that, too," I said, and she nodded.

I put my menu to the side, and leaned forward, my hands clasped in front of me.

"So, what have you been doing for six years?" I asked, grinning. She smiled back at me. "Well," she started. An old memory started in my head, and I suddenly remembered the times she would talk about architecture, and my eyes would glaze over. Maybe I should've waited until she asked me what I had been up to.

"I graduated highschool as Valedictorian, went to Yale, finished magna cum laude, and continued building Olympus. I lived in San Francisco for a few years, then decided to come to New York because I'd be closer to home," she said, smirking. I nodded. The waitress came, still trying to get my attention, taking our order, and dropping off our drinks.

"I always knew you'd finish top," I said, sitting back in the booth. "Really?" she asked, an eyebrow raised as she sipped her Coke. I nodded, crossing my arms.

"So what about you, Seaweed Brain? What have you been up to for the past six years?" she asked.

"Well, like I said, I did finish my years at Cornell, and did study ocean animals for a year, until..." I trailed off. "Until what?" she asked. I shifted uncomfortably in the booth, turning red.

I took a deep breath. _It's now or never, Jackson._ I growled in my head.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

"Until Rachel and I started going out. She got a big movie deal, and she demanded that I would play a role in the movie, too," he said. I racked my brain for any movie I saw with him in it. Then again, I didn't really like movies. Whenever I went to a movie theater, I would get attacked by a monster.

But Seaweed Brain? A movie star?

He saw the look on my face and continued.

"Yeah....she got really famous and stuff, which led me to be you know... a paparazzi magnet. She continued being an actress, and continued being an artist. And then....two years after I finished college, we got married..." he trailed off, running his fingertips through his "Orlando Bloom" mullet. **(A/N: Google Image search "Orlando Bloom Mullet". I thought it looked pretty good :D) **

"I did a few cameos, but I decided to stop, because then Rachel had Ben," he said, and his expression turned sad.

"She never had the time to take care of him. That became a big problem, and we started fighting. And she got all full of it, I got really angry sometimes."

He looked at his hands. I noticed he didn't have a ring. He must've thrown it away.

"I swear, she might be the next Britney Spears," he grumbled, and I laughed.

"Have you both signed the divorce papers?" I asked. He nodded. "That's one thing taken care of. I need to get her to sign the papers that say Ben is mine," he muttered, crossing his arms.

I nodded.

"That's probably not going to be a problem. She'll probably get someone new within a few weeks, and then pop! You get a step son," I said. He didn't look very happy about that.

"I don't want to be related to anything that's someone else's, or hers, besides Ben," he said. The waitress came, again, trying to flirt with him, setting down our plates.

"Need anything else?" she asked Percy. He shook his head, and the waitress leaned forward a little, her chest forward. "We're...good," he stammered, uncomfortable.

The waitress left, throwing an angry look at me.

Percy looked at me, blushing furiously.

"Can we pretend that didn't happen?" he asked, hopefully. I laughed. "Of course."

* * *

**AN: Soo....that concludes this chapter, for now.**

**I've started a contest, and further info will be on my profile as soon as I can get to it. Mhmkay?**

**~Eclipse of Athena**


	7. Talking

**AN: Hey guys! I'm glad I got so many reviews for last chapter! Keep 'em coming in! **

**Thanks to: percabethgirl13, Demi-god Daughter of the Sea, Nikki J., Shockra2000, You Know Who, the silver hunters, Athena's Assassin, sailorgirl424, WiseGirl12, and Daughter of Selene (From the order I saw them.) for reviewing last chapter. As of 9/14/09**

**IN OTHER NEWS: I've started a contest, so if you'd like to enter, look on my profile, and you'll find most of the info there.**

**~Eclipse of Athena**

**

* * *

**

Annabeth's PoV:

We ate, speaking every now and then.

Finally, we finished, and the waitress came over again. "Are you done?" she asked Percy, and he nodded. "Can we get the check?" he asked. The waitress nodded slyly, and I wondered if she would give him a discount. Then I remembered my manners, and started to take out my wallet.

"Nah, it's okay. I'll pay for it," he said, putting a hand on mine, stopping me from getting out my credit card.

_Flash._

Percy spun wildly around.

_Flash._

Behind him, a photographer was standing near the other booths, taking pictures of us. Then, more people joined the photographer, making a large crowd of people. "Oh gods," muttered Percy, looking at me. The waitress came back with the bill, and Percy hurriedly took out 20 and 10 dollar bills, handing them to her.

"Keep the change," he said to her, and grabbed my arm, rushing me towards the exit.

Once we were outside, and in his car, he explained.

"For the past few weeks, the paparazzi have been stalking me, just because Rachel and I are getting divorced," he said, panting. "Oh," I said, nodding.

"I'm so sorry," he said apologetically, his eyes sincere. "It's okay," I said.

He pulled out the reciept from his pocket, looking at it. On the bottom was a number and name. "Oh gods," Percy murmured. _Chelsea J. _was scrawled on the bottom.

"I hate when they do that," he muttured, and I laughed.

"Well you've got the looks, so you're bound to get attention," I giggled, and Percy smiled at me, making my heart melt. I felt like one of those twelve year old crazy fan girls, melting at the sight of their celebrity crush.

Wait-what?

"Well, do you wanna go home, or do you want to go somewhere else?" Percy asked, turning on the engine.

"Maybe home. I have something I need to do that needs to be finished by tommorow," I said. It wasn't true. I just didn't want to cause Percy more trouble.

"Okay," he said, and he stepped on the gas pedal.

* * *

Percy's PoV:

We arrived at her building, and I walked her up to her apartemnt.

We stopped at her door, and she turned around.

"Thanks. I had a lot of fun tonight," she said quietly, and I nodded. "Thank _you_."

She smiled, and her eyebrows creased, her smile sliding down to a frown. "You've changed a bit," she said, looking me in the eyes. "Not really," I said.

Neither of us knew our faces were close together, both of our hearts racing.

"Let's hang out again sometime," she whispered softly, and I nodded, running my fingers through my hair. "Okay."

Our faces were inches apart, and Annabeth suddenly realized that I was too close. She jerked backwards, blushing. My heart fell for some reason, and I stood there, frozen.

"Er- I- uh- I should probably go. I need to pick up Ben," I stammered, getting my car keys out.

"Oh-okay," she said, "Say hello to Ben for me." I nodded, running my fingers through my black messy hair. I started to turn away, saying, "Bye."

She waved at me. "Bye."

* * *

Ben was sound asleep when I got to my mom's house.

"How'd he do?" I asked her, looking at Ben's still form on my mom's couch. "He did good. We played some board games, he watched some TV, and I even made him blue chocolate chip cookies," she said, her hand on my arm.

I grinned at her. "Blue chocolate chip cookies?" I asked innocently.

Okay, for a twenty-four year old guy, that was pretty childish.

My mom smiled at me, planting a kiss on my forehead. "Of course I didn't forget about you," she said, and walked into the kitchen. I jumped up, shocked. "I didn't mean it!"

She came strolling back in, smiling, the cookie on a napkin. She waved it in front of my face, and I stuck my tongue out at her. (Why am I having childish moments??) "Are you sure you don't want it?" she asked slyly. The intoxicating smell filled my nostrils, as if it was a drug. I laughed.

"Okay, okay." She handed me the cookie, ruffling my hair.

She sat down on a chair next to me, holding my hand.

"How are you?" she asked, her gaze serious. "I'm fine, Mom. Seriously," I said. She leaned forward, her eyes sad and angry.

"Rachel came by here a few minutes after you left," she said. "WHAT?!" I nearly yelled. "She wanted Ben." She held both of my hands now, which were shaking. "Why doesn't she stop? She knows he'll be better off with me," I stammered, shocked that Dare would actually come up to my mom's house, and asked for my son.

"Percy-- has she signed the release papers yet?" she asked. I shook my head. "I doubt she will. Every time I ask, it's always a fight," I said, my voice hard and cold.

My mom looked down at our hands.

"Where did you go? Did you go out to eat or something?" she asked me, changing the subject.

"I went out to eat with Annabeth," I said. My mom looked up at me in shock. "Annabeth? Annabeth Chase?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Did I not tell you? She moved here like, a few weeks ago," I said. My mom smiled. "How is she?" "She's great. She's still the same person, but she looks more mature," I said. All of a sudden, my phone started ringing.

I pressed the call button without looking at who it was, and when I heard the voice, my heart fell.

"Jackson?!"


	8. Allowing

**AN: I AM SO SORRY ABOUT NOT UPDATING!**

**I haven't been updating that frequently anymore, because one, I'm basically failing math (Oh noes), and two, my dad is making me review every little math thing I've learned. Also, I'm working on my very own new book, so I've been quite busy on that.**

**Also, enter in the second contest, which is now posted on my profile.**

**I didn't include the names of the people who reviewed, and I apologize -- but there were so freaking many!**

**~EoA (Eclipse of Athena)**

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

I rolled down the window as I drove, feeling the calm, cool air blowing against my face, making my hair ripple behind me.

The paparazzi attack got me thinking-- was Percy's life always like this? I'd seen the pain on his face when he heard the camera, and how sincere his apology was once we got out. Then I'd remembered something he'd said to me-- a long time ago.

_"My life will never be easy, Wise Girl."_

_"Why do you say that?"_

_He sighed, intertwining his fingers with hers. "I've been accused of stealing from a god, carried the sky, went into the Labyrinth, and fought a war. There's been too much in my life to call my life easy."_

_

* * *

_

Percy's PoV:

"Dare?" I asked, my voice becoming steely cold. What did she want this time?

She hesitated.

"I want to have Ben stay two days with me."

I nearly laughed. "And what makes you think I'll agree to that?" Okay, sure I felt like a bastard. The woman wanted to be with my son, but still, I didn't want her to.

She fired up, and I could quite literally hear her anger.

"I'm being dead serious, Jackson. Who was the one that told me that I should spend more time with Ben?"

Err...Guilty?

I looked up at my mom, who could hear the entire conversation. _Should I? _my eyes asked her. _Let her. He needs to see his mom again. _she mouthed.

I took a deep breath, and pressed my ear to the phone.

"Okay. But only for one day." "Okay," she said, satisfied.

What the Hades did I just do?

* * *

I slept on the couch in my mom's house, exhausted and too tired to drive back home.

When I woke up, the smell of my mom's chocolate muffins reached my nose, and I grinned. Ben was walking out of my mom's guest bedroom, yawning and stretching, bleary-eyed.

But when he saw me, it looked like he had two shots of caffeine.

"Daddy!'' he cried, wrapping his arms around me.

I smiled at him. Maybe now wasn't the best time to tell him he was going to stay with his mom for two days. "Hey, kiddo."

My mom came out of the kitchen, oven mitts on her hands. "Breakfast time, boys!" she called, smiling. I carried Ben to the table, sitting him in my lap. Ben sniffed the air, and sighed loudly. I laughed, seeing a dreamy expression on his face.

"Smells good, huh, kiddo?" My mom put two muffins in front of us, and naturally, we gulped it down in one, grinning.

"Thanks, Mom," I said, as Ben reached for another. She nodded, and gestured at Ben. _Are you going to tell him, or what? _she mouthed, and I shrugged. _I guess I'll have to, _I mouthed back. I turned back to Ben, who was happily munching on his what, third muffin?

I cleared my throat, and Ben looked at me.

"Ben, you're going to spend some time with your mom today, mhmkay?" I asked hopefully. He hesitated, and something in his eyes changed -- just for a few seconds -- and he smiled.

"Okay, Daddy."

I looked at him disdainfully, then at my mom.

This was going to be _real _hard for me.

* * *

We drove back to the loft, where I saw Rachel's second car, her red convertible, parked on my driveway.

I winced, and got out of the car, helping Ben out as well.

"Ready for a day with your mom?" I asked, as we walked towards her. He nodded.

Rachel was wearing big sunglasses, a spaghetti strap blouse, black pants, and black high heels. She looked at me, then at Ben. "Jackson," she said coldly.

"Rachel," I said, with the same amount of rudeness. I didn't want to use her last name -- it was hard enough for Ben already. "He'd better be back in one piece, redhead, or else," I growled, and gestured for Ben to stand with her.

"I can take care of him better than you can," she sneered, and I frowned angrily at her. "Just take him," I muttered, and she steered him away, leading him to her car.

"Bye, Daddy," he called, waving. I raised a hand in farewell, a lump forming in my throat.

"Bye, Ben," I muttered, knowing he couldn't hear me. She gunned the engines, and with a screech from her tires, she drove off into the distance.

* * *

Deciding I should get some fresh air, I put on a white t-shirt, khaki shorts, and flip flops, and walked through town.

It was fall in New York, and the chilly breeze rushed against my face, making me a little more calm. I stepped into a Starbucks and ordered a Caramel Macchiato.

As I sat outside, quietly sipping my coffee, I noticed a short, chubby man with a camera rush up, and take a picture of me. I didn't feel surprised, and could tell I didn't wear a mask of shock.

The man grinned and ran off, and I sipped my coffee again, crossing my arms. "Stupid photogs," I murmured, and stared out into the streets of New York.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

It was around four p.m., when I decided to walk around town. It was getting cold, so I slipped on my white hoodie and some jeans.

I passed a newspaper stand, and decided to look at the news. As I scanned the cramped shelves of the stall, I took a quick glance at the cover of People magazine, just to check if there was any interesting celebrity news. Shocked, I saw Percy on the cover, sitting alone outside of a Starbucks.

**_JACKSON LONELY?_**

Yelled the title, and I quickly picked up the magazine, and practically threw the money at the cashier, and flipped through the magazine, looking for the cover story.

At last, towards the back of the magazine, I saw the article about Seaweed Brain.

Throughout the whole article, one statement was found in at least every two sentences. Percy was sulking. Why?


	9. Dying

**AN: Hopefully this chapter will make up for the long time I haven't updated.**

**Enter in my contest!**

**~EOA**

**(Inspiration: Empire State of Mind. Don't ask me why)**

* * *

Percy's PoV:

Ben was happily back with me, after the long time he was with Rachel.

We were watching Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, as Ben loudly ate his popcorn. He laughed giddily, and I grinned. It hadn't been the same when he left. There wasn't any burden, which was weird. Ben had been with me for most of his life, and for the few days he was gone, I missed him.

I put my arm around his small shoulders, and pulled him tight to my chest, watching a giant corn roll down the Great Wall of China, or whatever it was.

The movie never appealed to me, but it was Ben's favorite. I got ice cream from the fridge-- Ben and Jerry's. Ben's favorite brand. He litterally sucked in the whole cup of ice cream, finishing within five minutes. I laughed, as he pouted at his empty cup. He gestured at the cup, looking pleadingly at me. I laughed even harder, and went to fetch him another cup.

I slid my eyes down to Ben, whose eyes were drooping, but still sparked with excitement. I laughed, and Ben looked up groggily at me. "C'mon, kiddo. S'time to get you to sleep," I said, lifting him up in my arms. He didn't put up a fight, but merely yawned against my shoulder, and wrapped his arms around my neck.

"You're tired, aren't you?" I asked him, and laid him down on his small, brown bed, and pulled up the sheets on top of him. He nodded and turned onto his side, pressing the side of his face against the pillow. I put a hand on his forehead, and whispered, "Get some rest, little buddy."

I walked out the door, closing it softly behind me. Sitting down on a stool at the counter facing the kitchen, I put my head in my hands, exhausted, but didn't want to go to sleep. I fixed myself a cup of coffee, and sat down again, grabbing a newspaper from across the counter.

Before I knew it, I fell asleep on top of the cold, hard marble of the counter, snoring softly.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

I was up all night on my laptop, typing furiously away. Honestly, what the Hades were they thinking?

My crew decided to screw up on a statue of my mother! My mother!

I put my head in my hands, sighing deeply. All I wanted to do was make every little statue, every little building, in Olympus appear magically out of the ground. That would make my day.

I put my legs on top of the small coffee table, stretching. It was a habit I picked up from Percy, so long ago.

_Percy._

I wondered how he got through all of this pain, all of this unwanted attention. Seaweed Brain had been my best friend when we were teens, and now, as an adult, he was thrown back into my life, by a strange meetup at a Panera Bread. That's irony for you.

My question was; how come, after all this time, we were thrown together _now, _out of all times. Why couldn't it have been before he met up with Rachel, or right when he got into college? In fact, why did we end it? Our relationship? We were doing so good, and it all ended over education.

Now, we're in each others presence again, and we both act like as if nothing ever happened.

I got up off the couch, walking towards the window, throwing back the curtain. New York. The city that never sleeps. I saw cars and pedestrians streaming everywhere, continuing their lives even into the night. Maybe I needed some air.

I threw on my gray jacket, and walked out of my apartment building, going nowhere in particular.

* * *

Percy's PoV:

I woke up the next morning (well, maybe 3 a.m), dazed, and still tired. The newspaper lay near my now cold coffee. "Ungh..." I moaned, running my fingers through my hair, and yawning.

Somehow, my limbs were able to put a white t-shirt and blue shorts on me, and carrying lazily to bed. Too bad I was only going to have like, ten minutes of rest. My MyTouch buzzed to life, and I groaned, looking at the caller ID. It was mom. What was she up at this hour for?

I pressed the talk button, and held the phone to my ear.

"Mom? What's up?" I asked.

"Percy! It's Paul! He had a heart attack!" she yelled into the phone. WHAT?! Paul was the healthiest 56 year old man I'd ever seen in my life. Why did he have a heart attack? He was in great shape when I last saw him, with no signs of heart problems whatsoever.

"Do you want me to come over there?" I asked shakily. "Please," said my mom. "Okay, I'll be there in a few. Lemme just get Ben. Are you at the hospital?" I asked her.

"No. I'm still at home. An ambulance came by a few minutes ago and brought him to the hospital, but I told them I wanted to stay and call you first," she said. I was already running to Bens room, to pick him quietly up. I carried him with one arm, and put on my flip flops. We jumped into the car, with the phone still pressed against my ear.

"Okay, we're leaving the house now. We'll be there in 5 to 10 minutes. Stay calm, Mom," I said, and hung up. My engine roared as we zoomed across the highways to my mother's house. We parked in the front, and I got out of the car, locking it, with the window slightly open for Ben. I ran to the door and pressed the doorbell.

My mom walked out of her colonial-styled house, dressed messily in jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket. There were red circles under her wet eyes, and her hair was everywhere. I put an arm around her, and ushered her into the car.

We drove to the hospital, not paying any attention to the speed limits. I let Sally get out first, while I went to park the car with Ben. I grabbed Ben out of the backseat, who was sucking his thumb. I smiled, but it melted quickly off my face when we walked in.

There was a shocked look on Sally's face, and a grim one on the doctor's.

"Are you the step son?" the doctor asked, without any emotion.

I nodded blankly.

"Your step father has just died," she said, not meeting my eyes.

* * *

**AN: Okay, maybe not the most exciting/longest chapter ever.**

**~EoA**


	10. Visiting

**AN: Heya! I see not many people "liked" last chapter. You must think I'm cruel and evil. I am. Nah, just kidding.**

**Enter in my Contest!**

**~EOA**

**

* * *

**

Percy's PoV:

I sat in Paul's room for hours, my fingers intertwined, my head in my hands. Paul's death hit me like a slap in the face, or like a brick wall.

My mom wasn't with me. She was with Ben. She didn't want to see Paul yet-- she just wasn't ready.

I checked my watch. It was eight a.m. I realized with a start, we'd been here for five hours. That meant four hours ago, Paul died. An hour before that, he had a heart attack.

Some people lived through heart attacks. I had one question-- why didn't Paul?

He was healthy. In better shape than most elderly people. But out of all of them, _he _just _had _to die. And the Fates were cruel.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

I woke up the next morning at 9 a.m. in my grey and red striped pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, yawning and stretching as I went to go fix myself a cup of coffee in the kitchen. After I put the cup in the microwave, I checked my messages on my phone.

**You have (1) new voice messages.**

I frowned, and wondered who it was from. Dialing my voicemail, I pressed the phone to my ear.

_"Hey, Annabeth. It's Percy. Sorry for bothering you so early in the morning, but-- this morning, around 4 a.m., Paul died. He had a heart attack. I'm at the hospital right now with Sally and Ben. Er... I know this probably doesn't mean anything to you, but I just wanted to tell someone, and you popped into my head first. Well, I'll talk to you later. Bye."_

The phone hung up, and I stood there, shocked.

Paul died?

I never knew Paul personally, but he was a really nice guy whenever Percy brought me home with him.

He was really fascinating as well, seeing as he knew a lot about the Greek Gods and the other "myths". I distinctly remembered when Percy told me about how he told Paul that the Greeks were real.

_"He took it well, actually. He was kind of shocked, and we were afraid we made him faint, but he just nodded and smiled."_

I laughed, and smiled. But both slid off my face as quickly as it came. I quickly dialed Percy's number and pressed the phone against my ear. The phone rang about seven times, and I was afraid he wasn't going to pick up. I didn't want to leave a message, because I would have nothing to say.

Finally, he picked up.

"Hello?" he croaked through the phone. I knew Percy was strong, but it sounded as if he had been crying. "Oh, Percy!" I cried sympathetically. If he was standing in front of me, I would have given him a tight hug, and say that everything was okay. But he wasn't, and so I had to display my actions through my voice.

"So you got my voicemail?" he asked, his voice hollow. I was silent. "I'll take that as a yes," he grunted.

"Do you want me to come over there?" I asked.

"Only if you want to. If not, it's fine. No biggie," he said. For a split second, I hesitated. Looking at the clock, I remembered I had to go to Olympus at 4. It was 10 a.m., so I figured I had enough time. "I'll come, big guy," I said.

I heard him chuckle, and smiled.

"Okay. I'll see you, then."

* * *

I put my blue shirt, jeans, and gray jacket on, and got into my car.

Within 15 minutes I was at the hospital. Percy was waiting for me at the lobby, and grabbed my arm. His grip was firm, but not too rough.

When he started leading me to the room, doctors and nurses blocked our way.

"Hey! Family members only!" a doctor snapped.

Percy's hand gripped my arm tighter, and swallowed. "She _is _family," he said quietly. They looked at us disbelievingly, as if trying to find some resemblance. The doctor's eyes narrowed. "Really?" he asked.

"She's my wife," he said, no louder than a whisper. I froze, and stared at him. _What? _The doctors and nurses paused, ans slowly opened the way for us. "Fine," said the doctor. Percy pulled me through the crowd, and once we were away from them, he turned and looked at me.

"Sorry about that."

I shrugged and followed him to Paul's room. He quietly opened the door, and poked his head through. Then he blinked and opened the door wide, and smiled grimly at someone inside. I saw Ben sitting on someone's lap-- a woman in her 50's. She looked oddly familiar.

"Hey, Mom. This is Annabeth. Annabeth Chase. Do you remember her? When we were about 16 to 18?" Percy asked the woman. _Sally? _I asked disbelievingly in my head. Her eyes widened, and she stood up, putting Ben back on the chair.

"Annabeth? Is that-- is that really you?!" the woman asked.

"Sally?" I asked softly. She squealed and attacked me with an enormous bear hug. Her thin arms wrapped around me tightly, crushing my ribs. "Mom, I think you're hurting Annabeth," called Percy from the side. "Oh!" Sally cried, and let go of me. She put her hands on my cheeks, her eyes wide.

It felt strange, feeling her old, weathered, wrinkly hands on my cheeks, and reminded me that my very own mother would never grow old, and put her hands on my cheeks like that.

"I can't believe it's you," she whispered, smiling. I smirked back, and tears sprang to her eyes.

Percy coughed. We both looked at him and smiled. Sally grabbed his ear and Percy gasped in shock. "You've known she was hear all along, and you didn't tell me?!" Sally cried. Percy laughed, and attempted to pry her fingers off, but wasn't successful.

My eyes drifted towards Paul's bed, and I quickly remembered why I was here. I sobered up, and my eyes began to water. Percy's face fell, and he came to stand next to me. How quickly a fun moment was ruined. My hand found his, and I intertwined my fingers with his, my hand small compared to his. I always liked the feel of his hands. So warm, so gentle, but at the same time, rough and calloused. He squeezed my hand gently, as we looked solemnly at Paul laying still on the hospital bed.

Then something hit me.

"How come he hasn't been moved yet?" I asked quietly. Percy looked at me, his sea green eyes troubled. "I'm not sure. The doctor has only come in once after Paul died," he said.

We turned back to face the bed, with Sally standing quietly behind us. Ben was playing quietly on the chair, too young to comprehend what happened. So innocent. Just like Paul.

* * *

**Okay, so not the best ending ever. And I apologize, but I wanted to get this chapter published before I get grounded. Trust me, I know I'll get grounded. I'm psychic like that.**


	11. Buying

**AN: Hey guys! For about 30 minutes, I hurriedly typed up this chapter and got this. I hope this lives up to most expectations. It was rushed so I do apologize if it sounded rushed.**

**This is my Christmas present to you! I'm TERRIBLY sorry I couldn't update earlier.**

**~EOA**

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

I don't know how long we stood there, but by the time I left, it was already dusk.

I was wiping my tears off my face as I told Percy I had to leave, though my voice sounded like weak attempts at words. He seemed to understand me, and wrapped his arms around me, and hugged me tight. "Thanks for coming, Wise Girl," he whispered, as tears leaked out of my eyes. I breathed in his sea-like smell, and for a second, my heart leapt. Something at the back of my head was nagging me, telling me I used to enjoy this.

"No problem, Seaweed Brain," I said, and put my hands behind his head and kissed him on the cheek. My gray eyes met his green ones, and he grabbed my hand.

"You'll come over for Christmas, right?" he asked, his eyes sadly hopeful.

I smiled weakly.

"Of course I will," I said, and squeezed his hand. I patted his cheek. "You'll be okay, right?" I asked. He nodded, and his eyes flashed momentarily to Sally. Oh. He was worried about her. "She'll be fine, Percy. She's a tough woman. She'll get through this," I said.

His eyes were grateful, and he grinned.

"Well, I'd better get going. Good night, Percy," I said. He waved silently, and I opened the door, and left.

* * *

Percy's PoV:

My cheek still burned where she kissed me, even after a long hour.

Sally stirred, and yawned. I went to kneel in front of her chair.

"Mom," I whispered. Her eyes fluttered open. "Oh, Percy. Has Annabeth left?" she asked sleepily. I nodded, and held her hand. "I need to take Ben home," I said quietly.

She nodded. "Okay. Go ahead," she said. Startled, I asked, "Do you want us to take you home?" She shook her head. "I'll stay here for a little bit." She sighed when she saw my worried expression. "I'll be fine!" she insisted. I stuck out my chin stubbornly. I wasn't satisfied. "Mom, you know I won't let this go until I know you're fine," I said, squeezing her hand just a little bit tighter. From years of experience, she came up with an excuse.

"Percy, don't worry! Gina has already volunteered to help me a little bit," she said. Gina was her friend's daughter.

"Mom, I'm your son! There must be something I can do!" I said desperately. She smiled half-heartedly, and for a split second, I saw a flicker of my mom in her younger days. Her elderly, wise-looking features were suddenly young and exuberant, like when I caught her with Paul for the first time, over the Iris-Message, so many years ago.

She patted my cheek.

"Percy, dear, you've got a lot on your shoulders to deal with. The divorce papers, raising Ben alone, and now -- Annabeth," she said.

"Annabeth?" I asked incredulously.

She grinned knowingly.

"Oh please, do you really think I can't see what's going on between the two of you?" she asked, her kind eyes sparkling.

"Huh?" I asked stupidly.

"If you ask me, I'm seeing what I saw between the both of you 7 years ago," she remarked. I shot her a glare. "Mom, it's over. We could never get what we had back. It's just not possible, especially because we just sorta-- I dunno-- fell apart? Besides, she's probably found someone new," I said childishly. She chuckled softlly.

"We'll see about that."

* * *

With Ben in my arms, I left the hospital, after being assured that Gina would pick my mom up when she was ready.

Then I remembered.

"Christmas!" I shouted, shocked. It was only two weeks away, and I hadn't gotten anything for Ben or my mom.

I hit my palm against my forehead and cursed in Ancient Greek. "Ω σκατά!"

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

I drove home, my lips still burning after I kissed Percy's cheek.

I rolled down the windows, allowing wind in, which whipped through my hair, and I let my ponytail loose. I switched the radio on, and hummed along to "All I Want for Christmas".

New York was ablaze with more lights than usual. Times Square was bright with colorful Christmas lights and glowing ornaments. The big Christmas tree in the center was surrounded by kids (even at this hour!), couples, families, and elderly people. I parked my car outside the square, all intentions of going home deserted. Stuffing my hands into the pockets of my gray fleece jacket, I shuffled through the crowds, wandering aimlessly around. Angels were lit everywhere, and I took my camera out of my purse. I snapped a few pictures, and sat down. I'd become fond of photography after my step mom showed me her collection of photo albums.

A couple, probably around their 50's, passed by me, hand in hand, heads leaned towards each other, completely oblivious to their surroundings. I smiled, and wished I could experience something like that.

I bought a cup of coffee and settled down into a chair in a Starbucks, and flipped through some pictures on my camera. I'd had this camera for 4 to 5 years, and had pictures dating back to when I was 17.

I went to the very first picture. It was Thalia and I, hugging while laughing at the camera. It had been a few months since I last saw her, and I made a mental note to call her. The next one was Grover, Juniper, and I, lying on the grass at Camp Half-Blood, smiling. I stared at the younger version of myself, and thought of how different I was. Smiling, I flipped to the next picture.

It came as a shock.

Percy and I were lying on the sand at that beach Percy loved so much at camp. While I held up the camera, his lips were pressed against my cheek, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smirk.

My heart stumbled a little, as I flipped to the next picture. Our noses were pressed against each other, our eyes locked, gray meeting green.

Gulping, I hurriedly clicked to the next picture. It was a picture of Chiron. I sighed, hating myself. I hadn't talked to him in years, much less though about him! I swore silently to IM him when I woke up the next morning.

I flipped through the pictures, recollecting old memories, often pausing for more than 5 minutes on pictures of me and Percy.

Suddenly, a cold breeze swept through the cafe, and I looked up. A flash of red hair streamed in front of me, and I jumped.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

She leaned over the counter, giving her order to the guy. He nodded, writing it down on a cup. I could feel her eyes on me, and wondered if she remembered me. Risking it, I flashed my eyes up to meet her gaze, and her mouth turned into a little _o_.

Shivering, I stuffed the camera into my purse and almost ran out the door. Then, I speed walked to the nearest open store, and went to find a gift for Ben and Percy.

* * *

Percy's PoV:

The next morning, I called up Jayk.

"Hey, Jayk," I said into my phone.

"Hey, Perce! Watsup?" he asked brightly.

"I'm really sorry-- I know it's your day off-- but could you watch Ben for a few hours? I'm extra behind on my Christmas shopping, and I don't want him to know what I'm getting him," I said apologetically. He laughed.

"Sure, buddy! I'd be glad to take care of your little Beninator. Wanna just drop 'im off at my place?' he asked. "Sure. That'd be great. We'll be there in a few," I said.

* * *

After Ben had breakfast, we drove over to Jayk's place, and rang the doorbell. "One second!" he yelled through the door. Heavy footsteps ran back and forth.

"Sorry 'bout that," said a disheveled Jayk. "S'okay," I said. Jayk looked down. "Oi, there's the Beninator," he said grinning. Ben giggled. "Don't worry, Beninator. If your dad slips up on Christmas presents, Uncle Jayk's got ya covered," he said, grinning.

He looked up at me and winked.

"How 'bout we go look at the puppies down in Pet co, Ben?"

Something in my mind clicked. A dog! That's what I'd get Ben!

Jayk looked at me, grinning. "Have you caught my drift yet?" he asked. We laughed. Ben walked into Jayk's apartment to go play with his Schnauzer, Oggy. Jayk leaned in, whispering urgently. "Come bring it to me after you pick him up, and I'll take care of him 'til Christmas Eve. Then at night, I'll just drop it off at your place, and you can keep it in your room or something," he suggested. I nodded. "That'll work," I said.

* * *

I went to Toys R Us, and picked up a bunch of little cars for Ben. He loved Hot Wheels.

I went to Jared's for my mom. I picked out a little necklace with a dove, remembering that she wanted it the last time I brought her here. As I went to go pay, I remembered Annabeth. What would I get her?

Then something in my mind clicked again.

All those years ago, when we were about to leave for college, she left her owl earrings on accident, and I hadn't gotten a chance to give them back.

Maybe I could do that.

* * *

I drove to an animal shelter on the way back home.

The woman behind the counter held a shocked expression, and I knew why.

I leaned over the counter and said, "Can I look at the puppies?"

She led me to them, and I looked at all of them, behind the fence. One little beagle, looking only a few weeks old, caught my eye. He was huddled in the corner, his eyes sad. I pointed him out to the lady. "Can I see him?" She looked at me funny. "Are you sure? He's been here for weeks ever since he was born, and no one's want him. He's too small," she said. Yeah, perfect size for Ben, lady.

"I'll see him anyways."

She shrugged and climbed over the fence, picking up the small beagle.

"His name is Jasper."

Jasper. Not bad.

I looked at the puppy's sad adorable eyes, and looked at the lady.

"I'll take him," I said.

* * *

**So what did you think?**

**My friend has a dog named Jasper, so I got the name from her.**

**Again, I apologize for not updating.**

**Happy Holidays!**


	12. Christmas

**AN: Hey, I got an update!**

**Do I gets a pat on the back? No? Okiedokey.**

**Well here it is, Chapter 12- Christmas!!**

**~EoA**

* * *

Christmas Eve:

It was 11 p.m., and Ben was sound asleep, curled up on his bed, eager for tomorrow.

_comin to drp off jasper. r u ready?_

Jayk text me, I replied;

_yes. ben is asleep. c u in a few._

I waited on the couch, cradling a cup of coffee in my cold hands. The Christmas tree was lit, and the presents from "Santa" were already under the tree. Chocolate chip cookies were waiting to be eaten. The fire crackled in the fireplace, emitting a warm glow in the living room. I chuckled as I remembered just a few hours ago, when Ben was shaking the presents. I had gone out and bought some LEGOs as "Santa's" present, and was glad Ben didn't shake those. The rattling would've given it quickly away.

3 soft knocks sounded from the door, and I got up, opening the door for Jayk. The cold wind blew in, and I shivered, greeting my friend.

He carried Jasper's cage and 2 presents.

"Happy Holidays!" he said brightly, as I took the cage from him. "Thanks, man. Was he a problem?" I asked. Jayk grinned. "Naw, he was an angel. He was quiet, but friendly. You'll love 'im. He's also already potty trained," he said, winking. I sighed in relief. "That's good."

He handed me the 2 presents. "One for you, and one for Ben," he said. "Oh!" I said, and ran to the Christmas tree. I groped under the tree until I found Jayk's present, wrapped in orange and white. He grinned. "You know how I love them Texas Longhorns," he said, laughing. Although he'd never been to Texas, he loved the Longhorns.

"Merry Christmas," I said, cuffing him lightly on the shoulder. He laughed quietly and patted me on the back. "You too, man."

* * *

I woke up to someone poking my face.

"Daddy. Daddy. Daddy."

"Ahmbunchchba," I mumbled sleepily.

"Santa came!" I sat up. Ben's face was pure excitement. I just had to give in. I gasped and whirled around, wondering if Jasper's cage was in view. I sighed in relief as I remembered putting it in the large closet connected to the bathroom. Ben grabbed my hand and pulled me to the living room.

"See? See?" he asked excitedly.

"I see, bud," I said, smiling. I reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the camera.

"Open 'em, Ben," I said, camera ready. He ran over to the tree and ripped the first present open. From me. How nice! He picked me over Santa! I grinned. His mouth turned into an O, and his eyes sparkled.

"Daddy!" he said excitedly. He held up the set of Hot Wheels and I clicked the camera. "Open the next one," I said, and he reached over to the nearest one.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Who could that be? "One sec," I said to Ben, and ran to the door. I gulped as I saw red hair through the door. Slowly, I reached the door and opened it. Its expression was cross, its eyes narrowed. It shoved a present into my hands.

"For Ben," it said.

"Merry Christmas," I said, not harshly. It seemed taken aback, and for a few seconds, her eyes widened.

Then they shrank again, and it spun on its heel, heading towards its Ferrari.

I walked back to Ben. "Who was it, Daddy?" he asked, his eyes wide. "Err....your mom," I said. His eyes fell, looking sad. "She didn't want to tawk to me?" My heart felt like shattering into a million pieces. I stumbled quickly for an excuse. "She was busy, Ben. She had to go somewhere," I said.

His shoulders slumped. "But she brought you a present," I said quickly. His eyes shined a little, and he took the present from me.

While he opened it, my phone buzzed, and I got a text from Annabeth.

_Happy Holidays, Seaweed Brain!_

_Can I come over today?_

Quickly, I typed;

_Sure! Around 5? I live in Bella Terra, second house to the right._

I waited for the reply;

_5 is good. Okay, I'll be there!_

By the time I looked up, Ben was reaching to open his first present from Santa.

The presents whizzed by, and he opened the last one.

"Thankoo, Daddy," said Ben. "You're welcome," I said. He began playing with his presents, and I ran to my bedroom, getting Jasper and his cage out from the closet. I put a red blanket over him, and put a bow on the top.

"Oh, Ben," I called from the bedroom. He stopped playing with his presents and looked up as I entered the living room. "Here's another present," I said, and put it on the floor. He walked over and took hold of the blanket. "Go ahead, buddy," I said, as he looked up at me.

He pulled the blanket off, and his eyes turned into big dishes.

I slipped my arm into the cage and pulled Jasper out.

"A doggy?!" he asked excitedly. I laughed as Ben eagerly reached out to Jasper. "Wasshis name?" he asked, cautiously putting his hand on Jasper's head. "Jasper," I said, as Jasper's dark eyes met Ben's green ones. Jasper lifted his head towards Ben. "He likes you, Ben," I said, holding Jasper out to him.

"He does?" Ben asked. I nodded, and put Jasper on the carpet. He cautiously approached Ben, and suddenly, pushed his dark brown head towards Ben. He climbed on Ben's lap and lay there, stretching. Ben giggled. "He's cute!" he said, rubbing Jasper's back.

I reached for my camera and snapped a picture of Ben and Jasper.

While Ben played with Jasper, I pulled back the curtains and was blinded by white. As my eyes got adjusted, I saw a blanket of white snow in our backyard, covering the trees, the playground, and the chairs.

"Hey Ben," I said, waving him forward. He pressed his nose against the window and let out a giggle. "It's snowing, Daddy!" he said.

"You wanna go outside with Jasper?" I asked him. He nodded, and I put a big eskimo-ish jacket over his pajamas. I slipped some gloves over his hands and led him outside. I also put a dog jacket on Jasper (I had bought it when Ben was spending time with Sally).

I put on a jacket and went outside with Ben, who was making a snow angel. Ben hadn't seen much snow before, because usually during Christmas, we'd bring him out of state, somewhere it didn't snow often.

I watched Jasper trot around in the snow, fascinated by the white flurry swarming around him.

* * *

At around 5 o'clock, I put Ben in jeans and a green shirt, with Santa on the front.

I put on jeans and a nice white dress shirt, and cleaned up the mess that we'd left around the Christmas tree. Dinner was almost done, and Sally was helping a little with setting up the table.

Right at 5, Annabeth rang the doorbell, her clothes and hair flecked with white snow.

"Merry Christmas!" she chimed, and hugged me tight. "Merry Christmas," I said releasing her. She went to hug Sally, and was nearly tripped by Jasper, who was running around her feet in circles. "Oh! Who's this?" she asked, smiling.

"Thas Jaspew," said Ben, running down the stairs. "Jasper," I said, translating his little kid gibberish. "Hi, Anniebeth," he said, as Annabeth reached to give him a hug.

We shared a laugh.

The oven bell rang, and I said, "Dinner's ready."

"Dinner? Did you make it yourself, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked, smiling playfully. "I picked up a few tricks during college," I said, smiling back. I looked over at my mom, who winked at me knowingly. I got Ben to sit down, and went to the kitchen to bring out ham.

"This looks good, Percy," said my mom.

"Thanks, I said."

* * *

We went through dinner without any casualties or injuries, fortunately.

My mom was busy entertaining Annabeth with old baby stories from my past, as I tended to Ben, occasionally shooting a dark glare at my mother.

"And I never let Percy make breakfast for us again!" laughed Sally, and Annabeth smiled, looking at me. I could feel my face reddening, and shuffled uncomfortably in my chair.

"Present time!" I said, changing the subject. "Yay!" said Ben, as we got up from the table. He ran over to the tree and brought out two presents, the one for my mom, and the one for Annabeth. Ben handed the presents to them, and plopped down on the couch.

"Think fast, Seaweed Brain," said Annabeth, and threw a present at me.

I caught it, and grinned at her. Her expression was impressed, and she winked.

Sally opened her present first. "Oh, thank you, Percy!" she said, and hugged me. "No prob," I said.

Annabeth slowly ripped the wrapping off, revealing a little white box. She looked at me, then opened it. Her eyes grew wide, and she ran over and gave me a hug. "Oh my gods, Percy! I've been wondering where these went!" she squealed, kissing me quickly on my cheek.

I laughed, then opened the present Annabeth gave me.

It was a seashell necklace, one that my dad gave me a few years back that I'd lost when I was saying goodbye to Annabeth. I guessed we both lost something when we said goodbye.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

"I'm gonna bring Ben outside to play in the snow. Would you two ladies care to join us?" Percy asked, as Sally and I sipped our coffees. We looked at each other.

"No, thanks," we said in unison.

"Mhmkay," he said, and opened the back door, running into the backyard. Sally and I watched from the couches as Ben jumped on Percy's back. Percy laughed, smiling warmly.

"He really does love Ben, doesn't he?" I asked Sally. She nodded. "He's the only thing he had left, until you came along," she said, and sipped her coffee. I frowned, confused. "Until I came along?" I asked questioningly.

She nodded.

"Percy was having trouble with the divorce papers, earning money, and taking care of Ben. When he found you again, his life felt easier. You were his best friend, Annabeth, and that fact really helped him," she said.

For a few moments, we sat in silence, until I spoke up again.

"He doesn't seem that different. Still lovable, kind Percy."

Sally nodded.

"He's the best son anyone could've asked for. He's brave, strong, and has an unbeatable heart. He's everything anyone could've asked for. I'm just surprised he hasn't found anyone yet," she said. "He's probably gotten his mind stuck on taking care of Ben. I'm sure in a few weeks, his life will return to normal, and he'll find someone else," I said tightly.

"He's got a lot of things on his back. The paparazzi are giving him a lot of grief."

I nodded, and watched Ben pelt Percy with a snowball.

"I regret going to a different college. Maybe things wouldn't have gone this way," I said quietly. She looked up at me. "You still love him?"

I slid my eyes down, unwilling to meet her gaze.

"I don't know."

* * *

**AN: Okay, okay, not the best ending ever. **

**Sowee!!!**


	13. Author: Vote!

**AN:**

**Hey guys! I know you were expecting another chapter, but I'm ashamed to say I'm not _that _quick. I've just had a lot of free time lately, but I need your advice.**

**In order for me to please the majority of you, I want to know how you want Annabeth and Percy to get together.**

**Review/PM me a suggestion, and I'll look at it. (I promise I'll look at all of them, even if I have to stay up uber-late).**

**So, when I get a lot of similar answers, I'll put them on my profile poll, and you can decide! Don't worry though, I'll have many more chapters coming before they get together. I just want to know what you think is the perfect get-back-together moment.**

**Happy Holidays, and keep those reviews coming!**

**~Eclipse of Athena**


	14. Planning

**AN: Another chapter! Wow, at 13? Anywho, I'm getting a lot of votes for at the beach, and I've come across another idea as well. In front of Rachel is another option I've been getting, but we'll see!**

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

It was nearly time to go. Sally had been picked up by someone named Gina, and I didn't want to be a burden to Percy.

"Are you sure?" he asked, as he was coming in with Ben, covered in snow.

"Yeah," I said, helping him out of his jacket. "Thanks," he said, as I hung the jacket on the hangar. I reached for my purse, and he reached for my jacket.

"Here you go," he said, helping me get in it. I turned to face him, pulling my blonde curls out of the back of the jacket, and tied my hair into a ponytail. "I had fun," I said quietly.

Our faces were close, and I could hear his shallow breathing. Ever so slowly, we leaned towards each other, eyes closed, and....

"Daddy!" We sprang apart, our faces red. It was hard to tell whose was redder. "Yes, Ben?" asked Percy. Ben was on the floor, laughing. Jasper was poking him with his nose.

Percy smiled, and I saw that flicker of that "Parenting" look in his eyes.

He turned to me, our eyes meeting.

"I had fun, too," he said.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

_"Riiiiinnggg!"_

I jumped, halfway out of my bed, startled. Groaning, I picked up the phone, pressing my ear dazedly against it.

"Whaaaatttt?" I groaned.

"Oh, did I ruin your beauty sleep?" a familiar voice asked. "Oh hi, Grover. Need something?" I asked. "Yeah."

"Speak," I sighed, plopping back down onto my pillow.

"Juniper's freaking out. I need your help. I don't have a best man yet, and she says she'll throw the engagement ring away if I don't get a best man," he said, in his panicky-goat-boy voice.

I was surprised.

"You don't have a best man yet? Did Percy turn you down?" I asked. "Percy? Annabeth, I haven't talked to him in years!" he said.

"What?! But he's here-- in New York! I just met with him last night!" I said, surprised that Grover, out of all people, didn't know Percy was here. "You did? Man, if I knew that earlier, I wouldn't be afraid to go to sleep at night anymore!" he said angrily.

"Hey-- don't get pissed at me, goat boy. He's got a lot on his shoulders," I said.

"Okay, okay! Sorry. Can I get his number?" he asked.

"Sure."

Percy's PoV:

_"All the right moves in all the right places!", _screamed my phone.

"Wha-what?!" I stammered, waking up. Slowly, I moaned at reached for the phone, and held it against my ear.

"Helloooo?" I asked sluggishly.

"Pe-e-e-errrrcy!" cried a familiar voice on the other side.

"Grover?" I asked, hopefully.

"Perccyyyy!!! It's you! Man, I never thought I'd hear from you again! How's my little 'let's-go-without-any-actual-plan demigod?"

I laughed. He never changed.

"I'm good, man. What about you?"

"I'm gettin' married to Juniper! Actually-- that's what I called to ask about," he said, suddenly nervous. "Okay? Talk," I said, my brow furrowing.

"Do you mind being my best man?" he asked. "Sure! I'd love to. But-- someones gonna have to watch Ben for me," I said. "Who's Ben?"

I remembered Grover probably knew nothing about Ben or my get-together with Rachel.

"He's my son," I said. There was a slight pause.

"Really?" he asked quietly. Something was wrong about his tone. "I didn't know you got married," he said. "I-- sorta lost track of you after you changed your cell," I said.

"Who's the lucky woman?" he asked, attempting a teasing tone. Too bad it didn't work.

"Not really lucky. I suppose Annabeth didn't tell you I got divorced," I said tightly.

"You divorced Annabeth?!" he shouted. "Wha-- no! I never married her! We just met again around three months ago!"

"So who is it?" he pressed. "Err....Rachel," I mumbled. There was a pause, and I braced myself for Grover's response. Instead, I got a calm, quiet answer.

"You're divorced, right?"

"Yeah..." I said, still not letting my guard down. I heard a sigh. "Good," he said. "Okaaay???"

"Anyways," he said, leaving the conversation at a weird end.

"So you'll do it?" he asked. "Do what?" I asked stupidly. He laughed. "You haven't changed much, have you?" he asked. "I dunno," I said numbly, daydreaming about the smell of lemon soap, for some reason.

"You'll be my best man?"

"Oh-- that? Yeah, sure!" I said, snapping back to the present. "We'll find someone to take care of Ben, don't worry," he said.

"Okay," I said. "Juniper found suits for whoever was going to be our best man, and myself. She'll probably get a new one for you, though. I don't think red matches you in a suit."

"Oh. Do I have to see her?" I asked.

"Yeah. Maybe tomorrow, or something. One at camp, okay? You still remember how to get there, right?" he asked, a smile in his tone. "C-camp? Seriously? I haven't been there in ages!" I said.

He laughed.

"You know how to get there, right?" he repeated.

"Oh-oh- yeah, sure!" I said, amazed that I was going to go back to camp.

"We'll see you there, then," he said.

"Okay," I said.

My phone buzzed, signaling that I had another call.

"See you, Grover," I said, and hung up to check the other call.

**Caller ID: Rachel**

Oh, dear.

* * *

**AN: I had 30 minutes to do this one too, so I'm sorry if I sounded rushed.**

**Keep those ideas coming!**


	15. Fixing

**AN: Thank you so much for the marvelous reviews I'm getting! I'm very pleased with your suggestions, and I think perhaps I've found a way to make everyone happy. But that happiness will come laterrr! Don't rush me! I'm taking it slow and easy. Like it should be.**

**Also, I have a request. I need ONE person to help me for a little. I'm just going to send that one person some smidgets I thought of how to get Percy and Annabeth together, and ask that one person for their opinion.**

**Keep those reviews coming!**

**~EoA**

* * *

Percy's PoV:

"Wake up, Grover! You've got a big day on your shoulders today!" I said, pushing him awake.

The day before his wedding, Grover slept at my place so he'd wake up on time.

"Gah-- um-- wha?" he mumbled, his eyes fluttering open. He sat up straight, as if he suddenly remembered something. "I'm marrying Juniper today!" he said breathlessly.

"Really? Am I invited?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

He stuck his tongue out at me, and swung his furry goat legs off the couch. "We have to get ready, Perce!" he said urgently, running to the closet where his suit was hanging.

"Really? Hmm, I thought I just came down here to great you Happy Lief Ericson Day," I said sarcastically. He ignored me, and started pulling his suit off the hangar. "Whoa, slow down, goat boy. We've got to get you all handsome before you put the suit on," I said, laughing.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and I ran downstairs.

"Hey, Percy! Juniper and Annabeth sent me here to help get Grover ready," said the familiar voice of my cousin, Nico DiAngelo.

"Oh, hey, Nico. Yeah Grover just woke up." Then something clicked. "Annabeth? She's in the wedding?" I asked. He nodded.

"Bridesmaid slash Maid of Honor," he said. We went back upstairs to see a distressed Grover desperately trying to comb his curly hair. "Gods, Grover. You're not going to get anywhere with that," said Nico, shaking his head. "Don't try combing it, man. It looks weird when you try."

Grover crossed his arms. "Okay, work on me," he said tiredly. Nico nodded, and took out his cell.

"Hey, Clarisse. Tell us what to do," he said. Clarisse?!

"Clarisse?!" I asked, nearly choking. Nico held up the universal "Shut up, I'm trying to listen" sign, by pressing his finger to his lips. "Sorry," I mouthed.

"Okay. Are you sure? That's what she wants? Okay, okay! Bye!" Nico put his Blackberry back in his pocket, and turned to me. "Clarisse told me that Annabeth told her that Juniper told her to tell Clarisse to tell us that she wants Grover just the way he is. With good- smelling breath, of course," he said.

Grover and I looked at him like, "What??"

"I lost you after the second "told her"," I said, shaking my head. Nico sighed. "Okay, just go brush your teeth and make your face shiny, Grover," I said, and pushed Grover towards the bathroom.

"I guess we put our suits on?" I asked Nico. He nodded.

"We have to leave in about an hour and a half," he said. I went to Ben's bedroom to wake him up and put his suit on him. He was sitting on his bed, playing with his DS, until I walked in. I reached into his closet and pulled out his suit, that Juniper had helped pick. It was a black tux with a green tie. Mine looked almost exactly the same.

After I finished putting his suit on him, I smiled.

"You look good, little buddy." He grinned at me toothily, and went downstairs with me to my bedroom.

I put my tux on, with the tie hanging loosely around my neck, and went to the bathroom, to try to comb my hair. With no luck, I decided to keep it messy, and ran to the kitchen to fix breakfast for Ben-- a chocolate waffle and milk. Then, I ran upstairs to check on Nico and Grover's progress.

Grover was hyperventilating, as Nico helped him into his suit jacket.

"Calm down, man. You're marrying Juniper. It'll be quick, and then you can go back to being your clumsy old self," said Nico, and patting Grover's back.

"Nothin' to be scared of, Grover," I added, fixing my tie. Grover nodded soundlessly, and if satyrs could be pale, Grover was pure white. I laughed at his expression and tossed him an apple from the kitchen. "Eat. You'll feel better," I said, and Grover took a big bit out of the red apple.

He'd calmed down a bit, and an hour later, Grover was in my car, hands clenched on the armrest. Ben jumped into the back, eyes glued to his DS. Nico drove behind us in his black Corvette, as we drove to Camp, where Grover's ceremony would take place.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

"Okay, it _is _a problem. We'll find someone! I promise!" Clarisse pleaded with Juniper.

Juniper was sweating bullets, her makeup messed up.

"Thalia, Clarisse, take care of her makeup. I'll call around, see if someone's willing," I said, taking out my cell. Juniper's ring bearer backed out, thanks to his parents. Now, Juniper was more worried than ever.

"Who's going to carry our rings?" she had asked, on the brink of tears. I flipped through my contact's list, trying to find a half-blood with a son that was willing to be a ring bearer. My "Recent Calls" list held the answer. Benjamin Jackson!! I quickly dialed his number, holding the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" the voice asked.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain. We've got a dilemma," I said. I heard Grover wail in the background, "Oh she backed out, didn't she? She did!"

"Shush, Grover. You were saying?" asked Percy.

"Juniper's ring bearer backed out, so I called to ask if Ben was able to," I said, biting my lip. There was a pause, and I could bet that Percy turned around to look at Ben.

"Yeah, sure," he said.

"Oh, good!" I smiled. He chuckled. "What?" I asked.

"It's going to be wierd to see my son as a ring bearer," he laughed. I giggled, imagining a mini-me of Percy walking down the aisle with a pillow with two rings laid carefully on top.

"I'll see you, then?"

"Yeah. See you, Wise Girl," he said, and my heart faltered, hearing that nickname he gave me.

I put my phone back in my purse, and went over to Juniper, who was hyperventilating in her chair. Thalia and Clarisse were fanning her, worried looks on their faces. They looked hopefully at me, praying to the Gods that I'd found a replacement.

"Ben Jackson," I said, and Juniper squealed, and ran over to hug me. Thalia shot a look at me. Apparently Percy told her nothing about his son and-- Rachel.

"Thank you so much, Annabeth!" she cried, her willowy limbs wrapping around me. I smiled, and winked. She was blinking tears out of her eyes, and I patted her in the back.

"It's okay, Tree Girl. Now stop crying before Thalia and Clarisse have to redo it. _Again_." The other two women-- well, teenage girl and woman, looked at me gratefully as the turned back to their mirrors, perfecting their outfits. Juniper wanted everything to go as smoothly and perfectly as possible, and even anti-male Thalia had to look her best.

I looked out the window as I straightened my silver dress, and saw Percy's car pulling up to the side of the hill. It was almost time to see my longtime friends get married.

* * *

**AN: And that concludes chapter...15? Wow.**

**Anyways, I hope you're liking this story so far, and I hope to not lose some of you when the ending swings around. I'll be messing with you in this story, so when you think the end comes, it may not be the end.**

**~EOA**


	16. Starting

**AN: Hey guys! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! The pictures in this story have links on my profile.**

**Keep the reviews coming!**

**~EOA**

* * *

Percy's PoV:

"Hey, Seaweed Brain!" I turned around to the sound of a familiar voice, not Annabeth's who nicknamed me that originally. A black-haired girl with blue eyes ran over to me (or rather, tripped, seeing her high heels, something she wouldn't wear often), smiling.

"Thalia?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Wake up and smell the roses, Sea Boy. Of course it's me," she said, and gave me a hug. That seriously surprised me. After she let go, I looked at her face, a face of eternal youth. She patted me on the cheek, and looked at my face. "Someone needs to shave," she said, in mock disapproval. I ran my fingers over my chin and cheek, to feel a little stubble growing. I stuck my tongue out at her, and cuffed her lightly on the shoulder.

We acted like little children, but it felt good to be back with my cousin.

Annabeth came walking out of a cabin, and my jaw dropped.

She was wearing a flowing gray dress, her hair falling past her shoulders in magnificent blond curls. She wore her owl earrings-- my Christmas gift to her. "Annabeth! Wow-- you look great," I said, grinning at her. She flashed me a magnificent smile, making my heart throb a little bit more.

"You do too, Seaweed Brain," she said, giving me a hug.

Ben got out of the car, his eyes glued to his DS. Thalia followed our gaze, and her jaw dropped. "That's your son?" she asked.

"Err... yeah," I said, nodding.

"He's-- so-- cute!!" she squealed, and ran over to give him a hug. Annabeth and I stared after her, shocked. Wasn't she banned from any contact with men or something?

To sum it up, Ben's expression was priceless. His green eyes were wide with shock and fear, as he was being viciously hugged by Thalia. She ruffled his raven hair, squeezing him to death. "Daddy?" he mouthed, scared. I laughed, and ran over to pry him away from Thalia.

"Okay, okay. Now tend to Grover. He's in my car. I've gotta go ask Juniper what we have to do," I said, grinning at them. They nodded, running to my car, pulling a distressed Grover out of my shotgun seat. I scooped Ben up in my arms, and ran to the cabin where Thalia and Annabeth left.

I knocked on the door twice, recognizing the lovey-dovey door of the Aphrodite Cabin. Of course.

A half-blood stuck her head out of the door, looking at me.

"Percy Jackson?" she asked. I nodded, as she opened the door wider. I stepped in, to see Juniper fanning her face desperately.

"Hey, Tree Girl. I'm here," I said, patting her on the back. She looked up at me, relieved.

"Oh, Percy! Thank you _so _much! Oh- hi, Ben!" she squealed, hugging us. Her tree limb-like arms wrapped around the both of us. I still couldn't get over the fact that she lived in a tree.

She went over Ben's duty, which was surprisingly easy. All he had to do was walk down the aisle and bring the rings to Juniper and Grover when the time came. Of course, I had to tell him when to go. Juniper held out a little black box, and handed it to me.

One of the half-bloods handed me a pillow, and and placed the ring on top.

"And he's supposed to hold this?" I asked Juniper, who nodded.

"Now, when you go down to the pavilion, Clarisse and Thalia will walk down the aisle twenty steps behind each other. Since Annabeth is my Maid of Honor, and you're Grover's Best Man, you two will walk down the aisle together, twenty steps after Thalia. Then I'll follow," she said, brushing some stuff off my tux.

"Gotcha. Anything else before I give the pep talk to the groom?" I asked, grinning. She smiled, and hugged me again.

"No, that's it. Thanks, Percy," she said.

* * *

Back with Grover, he was having a mini seizure.

"Oh my Gods, Perce. I can't do this," he groaned.

"Gods, Grover, you're as bad as Juniper," Thalia moaned, hitting him softly on the back.

"At least _you _don't have to walk down the aisle," called Annabeth from the corner. I looked at my watch.

"Oh-- Grover, you've got to go!" I said, and we pulled him to the pavilion, where the wedding was to take place. All the tables and chairs had been moved, and even (somehow) the hearth had been moved. Pew-like chairs lined the pavilion, until it reached the end, where stairs led to a little platform. The place where Grover and Juniper were going to say their vows.

Chiron followed behind us. I'd spoken to him the last time I saw Juniper, and practically nothing had changed. He patted Grover on the back.

"Let's do this," he said, as campers started filing in.

Grover took something out of his pocket, and handed it to me.

"Here's the ring," he said. I nodded, as he and Chiron walked to the front. I ran back to the end of the pavilion, where Thalia, Ben, Annabeth, Clarisse, and Juniper were hiding behind a wall that had been made to block Juniper out before the wedding.

Out of her view, I put Grover's ring on the pillow, and handed it to Ben. Then, I looked up at Juniper keeping the rings out of view.

"It's showtime, Tree Girl," I said, and music started playing. Juniper turned pale, as Clarisse and Thalia put encouraging hands on her. "Take a deep breath," I muttered to her, and she took a lungful of air.

Clarisse heard her cue, and she walked down the aisle, with as much girliness that had been in her (which is to say none). Twenty steps later, Thalia followed, with loads more grace than lumbering Clarisse. I counted twenty steps, and leaned down to Ben.

"Walk down there, 'kay, Ben? Just walk straight, and Thalia will tell you what to do," I whispered, and gently pushed him forward. Amazingly, he understood, and walked straight down towards the front, as if this didn't faze him.

I held out my arm to Annabeth, who wrapped her arm around mine.

"That's twenty, Wise Girl. Let's go," I said quietly, and we walked down the aisle to the front, following Ben. We reached the front, and went to our spots, to wait for Juniper.

The Wedding March played, and Juniper began walking towards us, smiling brightly, with all signs of pressure or nervousness gone. Grover was also calm and relaxed, grinning when he saw his wife-to-be walking down the aisle. Juniper looked nearly in tears.

After what felt like eternity, Juniper walked up the stairs, and onto the "stage". She handed Annabeth her bouquet and held hands with Grover, looking like this was the best day of her life.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we gather here today..." Chiron began.


	17. Dancing

**AN: **I'm glad you guys liked last chapter! Keep those awesome reviews coming! Oh, and before I forget, the links to the outfits for the wedding is on my profile!

I'm not a priest-- so I don't know exactly what the procedure is. I tried looking it up, but all of them didn't match the "greek" theme.

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while.

If anyone's interested, I need another helpful hand.

~EOA

* * *

Percy's PoV:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we gather here today to witness the marriage of Grover Underwood and Juniper Perigoldern. Grover Marcus Underwood, do you take Juniper Marie Perigoldern to be your lovely wedded wife, to love her forever, keep her, honor and care for her in sickness, and in health?" said Chiron.

Grover nodded.

"I do."

"What pledge do you give of the sincerity of your vows?" asked Chiron.

"A ring," answered Grover.

"Do you accept this ring as a pledge of the sincerity of his vows?" Chiron asked Juniper.

"I do," she said, smiling. Grover turned towards Ben and I, as I gently pushed Ben forward with the pillow. He took the ring off and slipped it onto Juniper's ring finger.

"Juniper Marie Perigoldern, do you take Grover Marcus Underwood to be your lovely wedded husband, to love him forever, keep him, honor and care for him in sickness, and in health?" Chiron asked Juniper.

"I do," said Juniper, looking into Grover's brown eyes.

"What pledge do you give of the sincerity of your vows?"

"A ring," said Juniper. Chiron turned to Grover.

"Do you accept this ring as a pledge of the sincerity of her vows?" Chiron asked.

"I do," said Grover, grinning at Juniper. Juinper turned to Ben and took the ring, slipping it on Grover's finger.

"And may these rings given be the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites your two hearts in love that has no end," said Chiron, smiling.

"You may now kiss the bride." Grover leaned in and kissed Juniper.

* * *

"I can't wait to see Grover dance. Fumblefoot," I smiled to Annabeth as we walked to the party.

She giggled and lightly cuffed me on the shoulder.

"You _do _know that you have to dance too, right?" she asked. My face must've looked hilarious, because she was doubled over, laughing her head off.

"What? Grover didn't mention anything about that!" I cried desperately.

"Well, the first bridesmaid and the first best man has to dance after the married couple," she said. I shook my head.

"Great...." I moaned.

After Grover (apparently he'd been taking private lessons!) and Juniper made their first circle around the dance floor, Annabeth pulled me up. "Come on, Fumblefoot," she giggled, and led me to the floor. I gave her my "_what-the-Hades-do-I-do?_" expression that she was so fond of. "Put your hand on my waist, kelp for brains," she said, grinning.

I rolled my eyes, as she led me around the floor.

"Good, you haven't destroyed my toes yet. I'm proud of you, Jackson," she muttered, her gray eyes meeting mine. I chuckled softly.

"Finally. The only time you were proud of me was when I won a _swimming _contest," I said. She giggled.

"Y'know, you looked pretty decent in a Speedo," she remarked. I blushed. How could she remember that?

Grover and Juniper waltzed their way over. "May I?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. He nodded, and handed Juniper over to me, and took Annabeth. I put my hands on Juniper's waist, grinning at her like old friends.

"What have you been up to? We hadn't heard anything from you before Annabeth mentioned that your were around," she said, biting her lip worriedly. Apparently she hadn't been keeping up with the news about me and Rachel.

My eyes scanned the crowd as I thought of something to say.

"Look-- Ben's dancing with Julia," I said, chuckling at the sight at Ben and the flower girl dancing awkwardly around in circles. Juniper giggled.

"He's cute. You have a very handsome son," she said. I nodded my thanks. "Have you found anyone else?" she asked. Oh. So she _did _know about Rachel. I shook my head. She turned thoughtful, and bit her lip. She glanced over her shoulder towards Grover and Annabeth.

"You know, Annabeth's been single for a while now," she said slyly.

My jealousy meter filled up.

"She was with someone earlier?" I burst out. She giggled.

"Someone likes Annabeth!" she crowed. I stuck my tongue out, and looked around to see if anyone had heard. No one did, so I returned to stumbling around. "Y'know, you're no great shakes as a dancer. I'd never bring you to a competition," she teased.

"Hah-friggin-hah," I snarled, feigning anger.

She giggled.

* * *

I finally escaped. Ben was running around, playing with the flower girl. I laughed, then snapped a picture of him with the girl with one of those Ashton Kutcher cameras (I don't pay attention to labels. I'm dyslexic, remember?). I felt a tap on my shoulder, and spun around. "Oh, hey, Wise Girl," I said, smiling. She sat down next to me.

"They look cute," she remarked gesturing at the two little kids.

I laughed.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text.

_Looks like a mini Percy and Annabeth!_

Grover!!!

I looked at Julia, who was blond, just like Annabeth.

Oh...wow.


	18. Valentine's Day

**AN: Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! I'm glad you all liked last chapter.**

**A reminder to those of you who'd like to share your ending ideas with me, please do so before the blind poll is up.**

**I know I'm a day late on this, but who cares? Every day could be Valentine's Day.**

**~EOA**

**(BTW, I saw the movie the day after it came out. EPICNESS!)**

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

I crashed onto my bed, not even bothering to change out of my tight bridesmaid dress. Juniper had kepts us there for hours. She was so immersed in the telling of Percy's life after he'd "disappeared", that it was nearly 2 a.m. by the time I'd left. But, I was also intently focused on Percy's life, especially when he spoke of Rachel.

"Oh, you poor thiing!" Juniper cried, as Percy told about the divorce. Percy had just shrugged.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated, making me jump nearly a foot off the bed. It was a text.

_O gods, kill me plz! My head is still buzzing frm Juniper!_

_~SB_

I laughed. "Percy," I whispered, then fell asleep.

* * *

Percy's PoV:

I'd finally managed to put Ben into his Thomas the Train-thingy-that-talks-without-moving-its-lips pajamas. _Poor kiddo, _I thought, checking the clock. It was 2 a.m. If I ever had another wedding, I would make it end before 9 p.m. Seriously! Juniper kept us for hourssss after the party ended!

I texted Annabeth as I lay in bed, still in my tux. Every night, I would look to the other side of the bed. It felt empty and cold without the presence of another human being on the other side. Not that I wanted Rachel back. Hades, no!

My eyes started to droop, but not before I saw a small figure at the door. "Ben?" I called.

He crept to the bed, his blanket clutched tightly in his small fists. His eyes were big, and he was trembling. "Are you okay, Ben?" I asked drowsily, concerned nonetheless. He shook his head vigorously. "What's the matter, kiddo?" I asked, pulling him into my lap.

"I had a nightmare," he said quietly.

"Oh no," I said, my voice slurred a little bit.

"Can-- can-- can I sleep here?" he asked, his eyes looking like saucers. I nodded, and pulled him to the other side of the bed. It got warmer.

* * *

I woke up the next morning, my hair messed up in every which way, as I stumbled to the bathroom to brush my teeth. My phone vibrated. "Gahh!" I yelled, and checked the message.

**One new calendar alert.**

**Valentine's Day**

_Valentine's Day? Huh._, I thought, as I attempted to brush my hair. My phone rang again.

"Y'ello?" I asked, splashing water into my face.

"Hey, Percy. It's Sally," said a familiar voice.

"Oh, hey, Mom. What's up?" I asked, as Ben stumbled into the bathroom, bleary, half-closed eyes.

"I just called to ask if you wanted me to take Benjamin off your hands. It _is _Valentine's Day, you know," she said. I considered it. But what would I what do? On a normal Valentine's Day, I'd be taking Rachel out to dinner, but now...

"I dunno, Mom. What would I do?" I asked, scratching my head.

In my head, I imagined her thinking about it.

"Just go out, Percy! Hang out at Times Square-- anything! You need to get out more! Maybe you could find someone you might be interested in! Just go! I'll take care of Ben, okay?!" she nearly screamed into the phone, exasperated.

I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, Mom. I'm gonna date someone I found off the street. Marvelous idea," I said sarcastically.

She sighed.

"I'll see you in 20 minutes. I'm picking Ben up whether you like it or not," she said. I started.

"What?! I don't get a choice in this?" I asked, indignant.

"Ehh...not really," she said, and hung up.

* * *

I slipped into a white t-shirt and blue jeans.

"Guess what, Ben?" I asked, as he munched on his cereal. He looked up, and shrugged.

"Your Grandma Sally's gonna pick you up," I said, jumping a bit to help get the jeans on.

"Yay!" he cried, and ran upstairs to put his clothes on. The doorbell rang, and his soft footstep turned into heavy stomps. Putting my black hoodie on, I opened the door.

Gina and my mom were standing there, shivering from the cold.

"Come on in. It's cold out there," I said, opening the door wider to let them in.

* * *

After they left, I sat in my car, driving to Times Square.

Yeah, I actually followed my mom's advice. Shocker.

It was crowded with young couples. My Starbucks coffee was warming my hand, steam billowing out of the top. They burned my tongue.

Strangely enough, my eyes wandered around, and for some reason-- kept landing on blond hair. I shook my head. _What am I looking for?!_, I thought.

My eyes kept snapping back to a woman around 20-something years old, with blond hair. Her back was facing me, so I couldn't get a good view of her face.

_You idiot, what are you doing? _I thought, mentally slapping myself in the face.

My feet started moving by themselves, towards the blond woman. Oh no.

She turned around.

It was Annabeth.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

It was so cold! I shivered in my jacket. I felt a pair of eyes on me, and I turned around, ready to send a death glare to whatever idiot was brave enough to stare at me. My eyes searched the large crowd to see whoever was looking at me.

It was Percy.

My lips curled into a smile, and I moved towards him.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain! What brings you here?" I asked him, hugging him. I breathed in his salty sea water smell, remembering that smell I used to love so much.

"My mom took Ben and forced me out of my house, to put it simply," he said, grinning brightly at me. For some reason, my heart leaped at the sight of his grin.

I laughed, a second too late.

Someone tapped Percy's shoulder, and he turned around, surprised.

"Hello, dearie. Could you do us a favor?" asked an elderly woman. Her husband was standing next to her.

"Of course," said Percy.

"Could you take a picture of me and my husband near the fountain?" she asked, reaching in her purse to take out an ancient-looking camera.

"Of course, ma'am," he said, and walked over the the water fountain. The elderly couple sat down, the husband's arm wrapped lovingly around the woman. They looked into each other's eyes.

"Okay-- one, two, three!" said Percy, and the camera flashed. The picture slid out a little hole in the front. He examined it carefully, to see if he should to a do over.

He grinned. "What is it?" I asked. He showed me the photo.

At one on Percy's countdown, the old man had kissed his wife, to surprise her. "Aww, that's nice," I said. Somewhere in my heart, I longed for something like that to happen to me.

The elderly couple hobbled up to look at the picture. The woman was blushing furiously, as the man chuckled.

"Didya get it, sonny?" asked the man. Percy nodded, and handed them the picture and the camera.

"Thank you so much, dearie. How about we take a picture of you and your wife?" she asked. Percy jumped, then looked at me in surprise.

"Oh, you think-- oh, no, we're not married. We're just good friends," I said, blushing. It was hard to tell who was redder, me or Percy. The woman looked at us, and eyebrow raised.

"Really? You two look--, oh, never mind. How about we take a picture of you two anyways?"

I looked at Percy, who shrugged.

"Sure," he said.

* * *

Percy's PoV:

We walked over to the fountain, and sat down. I put an arm around her.

The woman waved us closer together. I shifted uncomfortably, leaning closer to Annabeth. I could smell her hair-- lemon soap.

I looked at the camera and smiled.

The camera flashed twice, and we approached the couple, as they handed one picture to each of us.

"Happy Valentine's Day, dearies," said the woman.

"Happy Valentine's Day, ma'am," I said, smiling.

* * *

**How was that? I hope you liked it.**

**Remember to keep sending your ideas in.**

**Question: How do you spend your Valentine's Days? Message me or review your answer!**

**Happy Belated Valentine's Day,**

**~EOA**


	19. Celebrating

**AN: Hey guys! I'm sorry for not updating and not responding to your messages. I don't get a lot of time on the computer, so my updates are limited.**

**Also, the END IS COMING!!!!! Well, the end of this story. Get your ideas in!!!**

**Keep the ideas coming!**

**~EOA**

* * *

Percy's PoV:

"Happy Birthday, Wise Girl," I said into the phone. I could literally hear her smiling.

"Thanks, Seaweed Brain! You remembered, after all these years!" she said.

"Of course I did. How could I not?" I said, remembering the times I'd forgotten her birthday in the past, when we were dating. I'd suffered harsh consequences. "Listen, let's go out for lunch, 'kay? I'll call around, to see who can come along. My treat," I added.

"Are you sure? Birthdays are no big deal, Seaweed Brain. Every woman dreads her next birthday after she turns 21," she said. I laughed.

"C'mon, let's do it. I'll call the others."

"Others meaning...what?"

"Like, 3 other people," I said, grinning. I knew how much Annabeth hated events, especially if they were for her.

"Wait--what?"

"Johnny Carino's, noon, Wise Girl. See you there," I said, and turned off the phone.

* * *

Thalia, Nico, and Grover all responded yes.

Ben was at my mom's, one less thing to take care of. Right at 11:50, I started driving to Johnny Carino's, which was a few blocks down.

Thalia and Nico were already there. Bickering. "'Sup?" I asked, ready to break up a fight. They both turned on me, pointing at each other.

"He's being an idiot!"

"She's being a bitch!"

"Congratulations to Thalia for using kinder words," I said, rolling my eyes. I sheperded them inside. A brunette waited behind a podium. "How long's the wait?" I asked. She stared at me for a second, jaw dropping.

"Err-- no wait for you, Mr. Jackson!" she stammered.

"We can wait. I don't think these two are very hungry," I remarked, as my cousins started throwing death glares at each other.

"Uh-- uhm-- how many people, sir?" she asked.

"5," I said, stepping in between Nico and Thalia, who both looked like they were going to kill each other. I pulled them into a seat, with me in the middle. "What's up with you two? You're acting like 16 year olds," I said sternly. Thalia glared at me. "Okay, acting like 5 year olds," I corrected, realizing that I'd overlooked Thalia's immortality.

"He's saying I made a mistake being a Hunter. He says I'm missing out on something. That idiot," she scoffed.

"'That idiot' is sitting right here, Gracie!" said Nico, loudly.

"Oh, that little punk!" Thalia growled, reaching over me to claw at Nico. Luckily, Grover and Annabeth walked in, and rushed to my aid. "Lemme at him!" Thalia growled.

"We're in a public place, Thal. Now is not the time to cut Nico's throat open with your knife. The mortals will kick us out," said Annabeth, pulling Thalia towards our reserved table. Grover helped me with Nico, nodding a greeting. We sat the two down, making sure they were as far away from each other as possible.

The waiter came by, taking our drink orders.

"I'll have a margarita," said Nico, gruffly. The waiter shifted uncomfortably.

"He's kidding. We'll both have a Pepsi," I said, glaring at Nico. The waiter nodded, relieved, and scrawled down the drink.

"Me too," said Grover, looking at the menu. I knew he was just going to eat a napkin, or something, but at least he was trying.

"I'll have a Heiniken," growled Thalia, her hand twitching towards her steak knife. I switched my glare over to Thalia, whose hand was curled around the knife's handle.

"She'll have an iced tea. Actually-- so will I," Annabeth said, lowering the knife. The waiter nodded. He looked anxious to leave our table. "Great, you two, you've scared him," said Annabeth, looking towards the scurrying waiter, who was running into the kitchen.

"And ruining Annabeth's birthday," I said.

They looked at Annabeth, jaws dropping in shock. "You didn't forget, did you?" I asked slyly.

* * *

"That was good, guys."

Nico patted his stomach, slouching in his seat. Annabeth looked disapprovingly at him, then at me. "Your relatives have horrible manners, don't they?" she asked, as Nico let out a loud burp. I glared at Nico.

"Yes, they do. But unfortunately, they're your relatives too," I said.

"Right..."

Thalia grabbed her tea, and splashed it over Nico. "Oh, you're asking for it, Girl-Who-Is-Afraid-Of-Hights," Nico retorted, reaching for his glass of Pepsi. Well-- ice. Thalia's eyes glowed.

"Stop," I growled. They looked at me, then at their clothes. They were dry, and nothing was left in their cups.

"Fine," sighed Thalia, still eyeing Nico.

"Well, I've got to go. Nice hanging with you guys. Oh-- Happy Birthday, Annabeth. I'll send a present to you tomorrow," said Grover, getting up.

"Bye, G-man," I said, waving. He waved, and walked out of the restaurant.

"I'm out!" grumbled Nico, stumbling like a drunk man out of the booth. I nodded a goodbye, as he stumbled out of the restaurant. The waiter came with the check, and I put my credit card in the folder.

"I really need to pay you for this," said Annabeth, reaching for her wallet. I shook my head, smiling. The waiter came back, with my credit card.

"Have a nice day," he said, bowing. We smiled at him, and pulled Thalia out of the booth.

"Come on, Thals," said Annabeth.

* * *

"Happy Birthday, Annie. Expect a present-- well-- in the next month or so," said Thalia, giving her longtime friend a hug. She turned to me, and put her mouth close to my ear. "You _so _like her again," she whispered softly, and gave me a hug. When she released me, I wore a confused expression.

"Later," she said, and disappeared.

"What was that about?" Annabeth asked. I shrugged, turning red.

"Wanna get coffee? It's pretty cold," I said, gesturing to the Starbucks across the street.

As we crossed the street, I looked around. I saw a familiar woman, one that I saw long ago, when Annabeth had been kidnapped, and I was traveling with Thalia and the Hunters. _Aphrodite. _She waved at me, smiling.

_Be prepared._ said a voice in my head.

For what?


	20. Fumbling

**AN: Thanks so much for the reviews! The poll for ideas is up!**

**~Eclipse of Athena**

**

* * *

**

Percy's PoV:

We turned into the coffee shop, a warm cloud of heat hitting us in the face. The air reeked heavily of coffee, stinging my nostrils. "When did we get hooked on coffee?" asked Annabeth.

I shrugged. "No idea. Grover, maybe?" I suggested, scanning the menu. I ordered my cafe misto, sitting down at a table.

"Probably," said Annabeth, and leaned over the counter to order. "He was asking us to help look for Pan," she said, as she walked over to me. I nodded. Our drinks came out, boiling hot. I put my lips to the top, taking a sip.

"Ow!" I yelped. My tongue burned from contact, and Annabeth laughed at me. "Shush, Wise Girl," I growled, pouting. I blew on the drink, as steam billowed out of the small opening. Drinking so quickly was a very stupid move.

"Wanna go to Time Square? S'just around the block," I said. She nodded, and we walked outside, shivering. "Gods, it's cold. What happened to global warming?" I asked, grinning. She smiled, making my heart race. Why was it acting this way?

"Remember Valentine's Day?" she asked, giggling. I laughed. Her blonde curls blew in the wind, her gray eyes sparkling--- I was focusing on little things, her dim scar on her neck from when we fought a minotaur one day at camp after the war. I shivered. She had blacked out that day-- and I thought I was going to lose her. Why was I remembering these things?

I realized she'd stopped laughing and was looking at me. "Are you okay?" she asked. I nodded.

"Yeah," I said absentmindedly, watching a strand of her hair float freely.

She was silent for a minute, then spoke up. "So what's the situation with Rachel?" she asked, fiddling with her coffee cup. I really wished she didn't ask that.

"I dunno. I'm supposed to be going to court or something for the divorce papers. It's been almost a year and a half, and we're still not done with it. I really wish it could be over with," I mumbled, no longer staring at her hair. She nodded.

"I know. What about Ben? Is he staying with you?"

I shrugged, feeling utterly helpless. "I really hope he does."

She put a hand on my shoulder, her palm radiating heat. "He really loves you, Seaweed Brain. He means the world to you, and you mean the world to him." She sipped her coffee, then continued. "Fight for him, Percy. He needs you. And he'd be better off with you."

She leaned over, her mouth next to my ear.

"You are a great father."

* * *

We stayed in Times Square for an hour, then went to Central Park. Little kids played cheerfully with their friends, siblings, and mother.

I wished Ben could have someone like that. Over the years, I acted as Ben's father, but could never be the thing he was missing. A mother.

We sat down on a bench. "Are you going to send Ben to camp?" she asked.

"I guess I'll have to. His scent isn't as strong, yet he has a scent," I said, sitting back on the wood. "Ben has mild ADHD and dyslexia. Rachel and I had him tested a few years back." I bet she noticed my voice crack on "Ben".

Annabeth put her hand on my knee, looking at me straight in the eye with her stormy gray ones. "I have to go, Seaweed Brain. Olympus still doesn't build itself," she said. I nodded, smiling weakly at her, looking away from her gaze.

"Percy," she said, willing my eyes to look back at hers. "Things will get better. I promise," she said, and kissed me on the cheek. My cheek burned from the touch, and my heart raced again. Just as she was about to leave, she froze. She looked at me, frightened. "Percy-- it's--" she stammered. Her eyes went back to somewhere in the distance.

I followed her gaze, heart beating wildly.

There-- a flash of red caught my eye-- a familiar flash of red that I had lived with for five years.

It was _Rachel_.

With some brown-haired guy. Not that I cared.

She was laughing, but froze when she saw me, then continued with her stupid peals of laughter. How did I ever survive five years with that freaking-- never mind. They slowed, and Rachel kissed him, slow and exaggerated. My anger level was never high, and was breached automatically.

I was driven by a sudden impulse. Later, when I went over this again, I had no idea why I did this. Maybe it was jealousy. Maybe it meant something deeply to me. My mind was still too fuzzy.

That's right. I did. Why? I have no idea.

I stood up, grabbing Annabeth's wrists. Without a word, I smashed my lips against hers. It felt like a puzzle piece. The missing piece had been found, and we fit together perfectly. Something inside of me ignited. It was an old flame that had been yearning to be lit again, and now it was.

For a split second, I thought she was going to break away. Then, she moved, putting her hands on the sides of my face. But then, it was over. I felt something change. The easy air between us was now heavy, and felt awkward. She broke away. She looked at me, her gray eyes showing a bunch of mixed emotions. Confusion, want, anger, sadness, surprise, happiness, and more. I couldn't tell what she was feeling.

My heart felt heavy.

Such a stupid move! Our friendship was growing stronger since we met again, and I had just cut it with a bloody knife! Or did I?

I decided to speak. How I managed to speak, I don't know.

"Annabeth-- I'm sor--" I started, but she turned around, walking quickly in the other direction. "Annabeth! Please!" I called, following her.

"Stop, Percy!" she said. Tears ran down her face. "Give me time to think, please!" she begged, and continued walking away. I stopped following.

I could've stood there for hours. It could've rained, and I wouldn't have noticed. But I learned something.

I still loved Annabeth Chase.

* * *

**AN: Are you angry with me now? I _can _redo this...if you want.**


	21. Answering

**AN: Here's another chappie.**

* * *

Percy's PoV:

"Annabeth, please, pick up the phone. I know it wasn't right for me to do that-- I'm sorry. I don't-- I have no idea what I was thinking-- um, listen. Just-- just call me back as soon as possible. Bye," I sighed, and hung up.

I'd been calling her all week. She wouldn't text me. She wouldn't call me. She wouldn't answer any of my voicemails.

What if I did something horribly wrong? How could our friendship ever recover?

I sat cross-legged on the couch, staring at my phone, willing it to ring. It didn't work too well. Ben came downstairs, making airplane noises as he held his small toy airplanes, "flying" them around the living room. "Look, Daddy! Dey're going to Gweece!" he giggled. I smiled weakly at him, as he came and plopped himself onto the seat next to me.

"Whas wrong?" he asked. I sat up straighter.

"Huh-- oh, nothing!" I replied shakily. His green eyes burned through mine for a second, as if his young brain could decipher something in my tone. "What do you want for dinner?" I asked, changing the subject.

He shrugged. "I dunno. You a bad cook," he said playfully, grinning. I laughed and tickled him. He giggled, fighting my hands, trying to swat them away. "Can—we--have—pizza?" he managed to get out. I nodded.

"Okay. Just cheese? Or do you want sausage on them, too?" I asked, continuing to tickle him. He hiccuped. He had a bad habit of hiccuping after laughing a lot. I finally stopped. "Hiccup," I said quietly, and he hiccuped. He frowned at me disapprovingly. "Hiccup," I said again, and he jumped, and hiccuped.

"Stop it!" he insisted. I smiled, and he stuck his tongue out at me.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup~

He clamped his hand over my mouth. "Hiccup!" I said, my voice muffled. He hiccup again, and ran downstairs.

"Aw, c'mon, Ben. I'll stop. Promise," I said solemnly, holding my right hand up.

"Sweaw?" he asked. I nodded, and he grinned. We walked downstairs, and he looked up at me. "How do you do that?" he asked, and I smiled.

"Magic," I said quietly, waggling my fingers mysteriously. "So, do you still want that pizza for dinner?"

He nodded. "Wif sausage, pwease," he said, reaching for his DS.

"'Kay," I said, reaching for the phone.

* * *

Ben burped.

"Scuse me," he said. I laughed. "I'ma gonna go watch TV, Daddy," he said. I nodded, and he ran upstairs, his small feet thundering up the wooden steps.

The phone rang. "Hello?" I asked into the phone.

"Hey, Percy, it's Michael." Michael was Rachel's lawyer, but we were somewhat close.

"Oh, hey. Whatsup? She finally decided on a date?" I asked, annoyed, not at him, but my ex-wife, for taking what-- a year?

"Yeah. Next Saturday. She says if you don't take it, she's getting Benjamin. Is Ian ready?" he asked. I could tell he was trying to keep a good-natured voice, but it felt awkward, since he was my friend.

"Ian's been ready for the past ten months, Mike. Yeah, Saturday is good. I'll get my mom to take care of Ben, or something. Is that it?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'll see you next Saturday, Perce. I really hope you keep Ben," he said sincerely, and hung up.

* * *

"Mom?"

"Oh, hi, Percy. How are you?" she asked. I smiled.

"Great, Mom. Hey-- if you're not busy, I'm asking you to take care of Ben next Saturday. I'm going to court for that Rachel thing, and I don't want to bring Ben," I said, drumming my fingers on the counter. I'd already tried asking Grover, but he was on his somewhat honeymoon with Juniper still. Nico seemed immature, and Thalia was with her Hunters. Also, Jayk was working.

"Oh-- Percy, I'm sorry-- I'm going to be working that day. I'm really sorry, dear," she said sincerely.

"Ah. Okay, Mom. It's fine. I'll just call someone else. Thanks, though," I said, hanging up.

Who else was I going to call?

As I thought, my eyes wandered to a picture on the wall of two teenagers, one with black, messy hair, and one with blond curls.

"Crap, Annabeth."

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

_"Hey, Annabeth. It's Percy. Um... next Saturday, I have to go to court for the Rachel thing, and I was wondering if you could possibly take care of Ben that day. I tried calling some others, but they were all busy. Sorry to bother you. Uh-- call me back as soon as possible. Thanks."_

I sighed as I hung up my voicemail. He'd sent me about twenty other voicemails, and I'd actually taken the time to listen to them. At least this one was different, not apologizing about the... uh... _kiss_.

How could he think-- that after all these years-- that we'd be alright? Sure, he may have not been thinking, but he didn't know how much it would affect me. My heart was racing, just thinking about it. The softness of his lips-- the ocean smell that lingered on his skin-- the hungriness I felt-- wait.

I still remembered the hungry kisses we'd shared when we were teens, the ones that would keep me awake at night just wanting more-- it all came back. And now, it was _still_ keeping me awake, the monster that had been tamed inside my chest was stirring, remembering the fiery kisses from what felt like so long ago.

I needed him, still. I still loved him, but would things ever be the same again? How, next Saturday, could I stand not kissing him again? How, next Saturday, could I keep my eyes away from his god-like lips? Why now, was Aphrodite ruining everything that she'd strived for when we were sixteen?

I left a voice SMS, not wanting to hear his voice again. It would just make me stutter. Then again, I was stuttering when I left the SMS.

"Hey, Percy, it's Annabeth. Uh-- I can-- uh-- t-take care of Ben next Saturday. Err-- yeah-- well, bye." I hung up.

"Crap, Percy," I whispered, putting my head in my hands.


	22. Bonding

**AN: Here's the next chapter!**

**

* * *

**Percy's PoV:

Saturday swung around. Ben was playing with his LEGOs, carefree and happy. I sat with him in his room, watching him build some kind of building, with three columns.

"What's that, Ben?" I asked, pointing at his building. He shrugged.

"I dunno," he replied.

The doorbell rang, and I felt a cold presence in my stomach. I was prepared for the court, but for Annabeth? I felt like my breakfast was going to make another appearance.

"Can you get that, Ben? I'll be right down," I said, making a detour. He nodded, and ran down the stairs. I heard the door unlock, and I swallowed, preparing myself. Ben opened the door.

"Hi, Anniebeth!" said Ben cheerfully. I heard Annabeth laugh lightly.

I walked down the stairs, not willing to meet her eyes until I got to the very last step. "Hey, Wise Girl," I said, smiling a forced smile. She returned the smile, except hers seemed a fraction more genuine. Or maybe that was just my imagination.

I turned to Ben. "Ben, Annabeth's gonna take care of you for the afternoon, 'kay? I'm going to be out," I said. He nodded, grinning in a way that only kids his age could.

"Yay! I can show hew my building!" he exclaimed, and I laughed.

"Okay, Ben. Will you be alright?" I asked Annabeth, and she nodded.

"I'm sure he won't be a problem. Will you, Ben?" she asked Ben, who was already halfway up the staircase. He shook his head, radiating happiness.

"Great. We'll I'll see you guys-- whenever. Wish me luck," I said, grabbing my jacket, heading towards the door.

"Good luck, Seaweed Brain," said a soft voice behind me, as I closed the door behind me.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

I followed Ben up the stairs, to his room.

It was light blue, with sea animals painted here and there. Of course, Percy would make his son have sea creatures in his room.

Ben was fiddling with his LEGOs, with a large tub next to him. He was building something that looked oddly like Zeus's temple in Greece. I mentioned this to him.

"Zews? Tempew?" he asked, confused.

"That's right. Zeus is the Greek God of the Sky," I said. _And one of the scariest gods if you get him pissed_, I thought wryly.

"Thas cool," said Ben, and continued building.

He let me play with his LEGOs, and I was glad he'd talked to me openly as we built.

"Mommy says Daddy is a scumbag-- whatevew that is. Daddy says Mommy is just messed up. Dew not being vewy nice to each owther," he remarked. "Deyre calling each owther names. Daddy says name calling is bad, but not when it's true..." he trailed off, confused. He frowned, pausing to think.

I laughed, patting him on the back.

"It's okay. Your dad is kooky, anyways," I remarked. Ben laughed, as he continued to play with his LEGOs. Then he froze, frowning again. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Notin. Can we wawtch a movie?" he asked. I nodded, and he ran to their game/movie room. He handed me a DVD case, his eyes questioning. "How 'bout this one?" he asked.

It was Finding Nemo. Of course, Ben liked this one. Son of a Son of the Sea God. "Sure, Ben," I said, popping the disc into the player. I plopped down onto the couch next to him, and turned to him. "This was one of my favorites when I was little," I said truthfully. He smiled at me.

"It's my favorite, too!" he said.

The movie started playing, and he was quiet, until the part where the fish get attacked by a... er... bigger fish. "I need to use the potty," he said fearfully. He ran towards the door, and I played along. After a while, I looked over my shoulder to see a wide-eyed Ben, staring at the TV screen. I returned my gaze back to the screen, and raised my voice, as if I was calling him from far away.

"Are you okay, Ben?" I asked. He made little running noises with his feet, to pretend he was actually in the bathroom.

"Yeah," he said, returning to the couch. The scene was over, and color returned to his face.

"I don't like that part. It's sad," I remarked.

"Uh-huh," agreed Ben.

* * *

When the movie was over, he came over and sat on my lap.

"Were you Daddy's friend?" he asked. I held his arms, ruffling his hair. I was glad he'd warmed up to me.

"I still am," I said. The ending credits were playing, sending a white light onto our faces. He nodded thoughtfully. "Are you hungry?" I asked him. He shook his head no, but yawned. "Uh-oh. Somebody's sleepy," I said, teasingly. He laughed sleepily. It was one in the afternoon, and I figured Ben took a nap at this time.

"C'mon, Ben," I said, sheperding him to his room. He nodded sleepily, and trudged to his room. I tucked him into his bed, and he curled up, clutching the blankets with his tiny fists.

"Anniebeth?" he asked, as I turned to leave. I turned back, sitting on his bed.

"Yes, Ben?"

He bit his lip, as if contemplating on what to say. Finally, he spoke. "Do yew think things wiw get bettew?" he asked. I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Do yew think I wown't have to have Daddy and Mommy argewing over me awfter Daddy comes back?" he asked. I patted his head, smiling encouragingly.

"I hope things get better, Ben. You and your dad don't deserve the trouble you're getting," I said honestly. He nodded, and put the blanket over his shoulders.

"Me, too, Anniebeth. Me...too..." he said slowly, and drifted off to sleep, his green eyes closing.

He reminded me a lot of when I watched Percy sleep.


	23. Winning

**AN: Here's the next chapter! I had to do a bit of research on this one. (I don't intend on going into law school. This stuff bores me.) It went horribly.**

**There will only be a few sections on the court procedure, but it won't take up the whole chapter. I promise not to bore you.**

**Me+Research=Apocalypse. 'Nuff said.**

**

* * *

**Percy's PoV:

I sat silently on the stiff wooden chair that Rachel had "graciously" supplied us.

Her new place was a studio apartment-- a few blocks away from where my mom and I used to live. It was packed with exclusive furniture that I knew must've cost more than my first car.

"Okay, so Ms. Dare, if you'll sign here for the divorce agreement, saying that you and Perseus both agree to the divorce," said Michael, shuffling papers around, as Ian handed her a pen. Rachel leaned over and signed.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

As Ben slept, I roamed around their house. Percy had a Camp Room in his house.

As I entered, thousands of memories flooded back into my head. As I looked at a picture-covered wall, I remembered Sally and Paul had bought him a camera when he was 17, to take pictures for memories.

I scanned one of the pictures.

_Wise Girl finally beat me at swordfighting. 8/3/09._

I grinned as I remembered, that blissful time where I had kneed him in the back of his knee, causing him to collapse. It was so fun.

_I beat Wise Girl at swordfighting. Again. 9/1/09. And much more._

_Tyson made me a new shield. Broke the next day. 9/2/09_

_The Nike Cabin. 9/28/09_

_The Aphrodite Cabin. 9/28/09_

_The Poseidon Cabin. 9/28/09_

I smiled as I looked at the Poseidon Cabin. Percy and Tyson were still the only ones there, until he'd left. He had a younger half-brother-- Braden. The two had become really close. In fact, I think he was Ben's godfather.

* * *

Percy's PoV:

"Sorry I'm late, guys. My boss held me up for a few minutes," said a rain-covered Braden Green, my half-brother.

Ian looked up, smiling. "It's okay, Braden. You're not too late," he said.

Braden nodded his greetings at me, Terri (Ben's godmother and Rachel's best friend), Ian, and Michael. Everyone except Rachel. "So, what did I miss?" he asked.

"Not much. Just the first form. You didn't miss anything exciting, trust me." Ian grinned at Braden.

"Aww, they didn't have a catfight?" Braden asked, putting his wet coat over the back of his chair, sending rain droplets to the European carpet. Rachel stiffened, and Braden grinned at her, and said, "Sorry."

Suddenly, the door opened again, and the same brown-haired guy I saw on Annabeth's birthday. "Sorry, love." The guy sounded Italian. Go figure.

"It's okay, Klayton," said Rachel. Okay, so Italian accent, but no Italian name? Go figure.

"Er... who's this?" Ian asked Michael. Apparently Michael didn't know the dude either. "Ms. Dare, mind introducing us?" Ian asked her.

"Oh, right. Everyone, this is Klayton Leparto, my soon-to-be-hubby." Gag worthy, I'm tellin' you.

I did the 'warding off monsters' gesture, and Rachel glared at me. I did the sign at her, too. Ian elbowed me. "Mortal. I can 'smell' it," he said, gesturing at the newcomer. I nodded, and stared sullenly at the floor. 20 minutes felt like 20 hours. And for people with ADHD, that time was practically doubled.

"Can we get this on with? I have a son to get home to so that I can relieve my friend of him," I snapped, my elbows on the table.

"Of course. Umm... ahh. We need to reach and agreement on who will keep Ben," said Michael, handing Ian a form. Ian nodded. "You both know that whomever doesn't have Benjamin will have to pay a child support fund and will get a designated time to see him," said Michael.

Braden and Terri stepped in between Rachel and I, to stop any violence. Thank the Gods that they did, or else she might've sued me for ripping her face off. "He's mine," she snapped. Ian and Michael looked uneasily at me. They knew me so well.

"Right. Like I'm going to let a prostitute keep my son. Uh, no," I said, crossing my arms. Rachel's eyes flared.

"Fuc--" she began, but Terri slapped a hand on Rachel's mouth.

"Lalalalala!!!" said Terri loudly, trying to drown out the sound of Rachel's sailor mouth. I grinned childishly.

Klayton leaned over to Rachel, his nose pressed against hers. Talk about PDA. "Dear, why must we keep the boy? He is not mine. We can always have one together," he said in his heavy Italian accent. I gagged. Gross!

"That's absolutely disgusting," said Ian disapprovingly. He turned to Michael. "We're the lawyers, aren't we? Have you made your decision?" he asked. Michael nodded, and pointed at me.

"There is definitely no way I'm going to let Ben stay with... that," said Michael. Rachel stood up.

"You're supposed to be helping me!" she screeched. I leaned over to Klayton.

"I am deeply sorry," I said sincerely. He looked confused, then snapped out of it. Then I stood up. "Okay, that's it. I'm getting out of here. Ben's mine, and that's all we need to settle!" I snapped, scribbling my name on the form, then slamming the door behind me.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

On a rack, I found Percy's old camp necklace. I touched the round beads reverently, remembering what each bead represented.

I still wore mine every now and then.

Next to the rack, I saw a pen sitting on the counter. _Riptide,_ I thought, and uncapped the pen. The beautiful bronze sword gleamed in the low light. More memories flooded into my already full head, and I smiled. It was nice to remember the old times, like when Percy saved my head from the third hydra we encountered, and when he threw the sword to me so that I could push away the axe of a Minotaur.

Riptide saved my life more times than I could've imagined. More times than my knife did, probably.

"Anniebeth?" asked a soft voice from the door. I whipped around, setting the pen back on the counter. Ben was standing in the doorway sleepily, rubbing at his eyes. "I'm hungwy," he said, patting his belly to elaborate. I laughed.

"Okay, Ben. I'll grab you something to eat," I said, and walked downstairs with him to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, I heard the door unlock. A rain-covered Percy stood in the doorway, grinning like an idiot. I ran towards him, happiness etched on my face.

"What happened?!" I nearly yelled. Ben came over, hugging Percy's leg.

Percy picked Ben up, holding him close. Then he looked at me with sparkling green eyes.

"I won."


	24. Eating

**AN: Hey guys! I'm terribly sorry about not updating. More and more exams are being pushed on top of moi, my Band auditions are coming up, and I haven't thought of FanFiction in daysss!! Days, I tell you! Anywho.... this chapter was inspired by "The Perpetual Self" by Sufjan Stevens.**

**Oh, and has it really been a month? O.o**

* * *

Percy's PoV:

Thunder cracked, and Annabeth shivered. "I hate rain," she said, as we sat around the fire, making s'mores. Now, I was deeply offended. No one, and I mean _no one_ makes fun of my/my dad's water.

"I love rain," I shot back, defensive. She threw me one of those grins that made even my dude heart race. "But we're making s'mores, right? That makes everything better," I said, smiling back. She laughed, throwing a pillow at me from a nearby couch. It hit me in the head, stunning me. "Hey!" I snapped, and threw it back to her. It completely missed her. I have wonderful aim, don't I?

Ben sat between us, silent, as he clicked away at his DS. He paused his game to take a bite out of his s'more, then looked at us, puzzled. "What?" he asked, incredulously. We started laughing, and he shrugged, returning to his game. Then Annabeth hit me with the pillow again.

"That's it, Wise Girl. You're gonna get it!" I roared, wielding the pillow. She giggled, grabbing a pillow from a couch, holding it out in front of her.

"Be my guest," she said, amused.

Then we fought, hitting each other with pillows until Ben pointed at the chocolate bar pile. "Daddy? Iths empty," he said, gesturing at the empty plate. So we sat down, and ate s'mores again.

The storm had been going for hours now, and the three of us sat there, Annabeth and I talking about the old times, and things that happened when we were apart. "...and he just spit it out all over my suit! My boss got all pissed at me, and cut my payments! Ridiculous!" I said, finishing up a story about the time when I took Ben with me to the office I used to work in. Annabeth laughed, almost dropping her marshmallow into the fire. "Hey-- don't laugh!!! It's not like I was being paid a lot!"

She snorted-- something not like her.

She told me about a time when she accidentally mislabeled a statue of Zeus as a statue of Dionysus. I just had to laugh at that one. "It was horrible. I didn't sleep for days," she said, blushing.

Ben yawned, looking bleary-eyed. "Sleepy?" I asked him, and he nodded wearily. I carried him upstairs, tucking him into bed. When I returned downstairs, Annabeth was holding a marshmallow over the fire, looking deep in thought. She was so deep in thought, she didn't notice her marshmallow turn black. "Annabeth!" I said, turning her attention to the burnt marshmallow.

"Crap!" she muttered, and took it out of the fire.

There was an awkward silence... and her face shifted back into that thinking face of hers. Meaning her marshmallow caught on fire again. "Annabeth," I said, watching the marshmallow shrink into nothingness. She grumbled angrily and picked up another marshmallow.

I sat down next to her. "What were you thinking about?" I asked gently.

She hesitated, biting her lip in that way of hers that showed contemplation. Then she spoke up. "I was just thinking about... uhm..." she trailed off, turning red.

"What?"

"The last time I made s'mores was a few years back, when I was visiting my mortal family during Winter Break. I had-- uh-- a conversation with my dad. He-- he apologized for the past, and brought up things I forgot. It was... I dunno, strange? But it felt nice that he was apologizing for the little things. And then... my stepmom gave me the... birds and the bees talk, so it could be like a-- stepmom/stepdaughter moment, I guess." Then she looked up at me as I nodded. Her jaw dropped.

"Oh, Gods, did I just say all that out loud?!" she cried, turning even more red. I grinned sheepishly at her.

"Was I not supposed to hear that?" I asked.

"You weren't!"

"I'll just flush it out eventually," I said, miming a toilet handle near my head, pressing down. I chuckled at her embarrassed face. "So... the birds and the bees, eh?"

* * *

It was nearly ten o'clock.

We had just finished up a conversation, and Annabeth and I were leaned back on a couch.

"I guess I should be..."

Suddenly, I heard soft snoring.

I looked over at her, and my jaw dropped. She was asleep. Her eyes were closed, her face looking more youthful and calm than ever. I resisted the temptation to stare at her, and instead, I put a blanket on her, and put a pillow under her back.

I turned back to the fire, staring at the orange flames until they became blurry waves. Then I felt a weight on my shoulder, not an annoying weight, just a comforting one. I looked over to see Annabeth's blond head rested against my shoulder, and her hair blew waves of lemony shampoo towards my nose. It was like bliss, the familiar smell of her shampoo. It brought back memories I had treasured, yet stored away a long time ago, like the countless times we had sat under our favorite oak tree, with her working on her plans for Olympus, and me just... watching her.

I knew I still loved her, even when I married Rachel. I never forgot that blond haired girl who meant everything to me. When I went to college, I felt like I was missing something important.

She slept silently, her breaths barely audible over the sound of the fire. But it sounded different--- more... I dunno.

It became a lullaby-- her breathing, and the fire. It was like a peaceful noise. A strand of her hair had drooped down over her face, and I moved the soft blond curl away. She was so... perfect. Everything about her was everything I wanted and needed.

Then suddenly, she started talking.

"Why did we throw away _this_ for college?"


	25. Remembering

**AN: Here's the next chapter! Thank you so much for the awesome reviews!**

**Guess what? I'm a 7th grader now! Woot!**

**~Caitlin**

* * *

Percy's PoV:

I looked down at her in surprise.

She was fast asleep.

_Maybe she was talking in a dream? She might've not even be talking to me,_ I thought to myself. I shook my head, and dozed off to sleep.

* * *

Annabeth's PoV:

I tried to keep myself from getting red, as the words tumbled out of my mouth. Doing my best to keep still, I could feel his eyes moving to look down at me.

_Don't move, Annabeth._ I commanded myself. He shook his head and fell asleep.

I waited about twenty minutes, and then opened my eyes to look at him. His head was leaned up against the leather couch, his mouth slightly open. "You drool in your sleep," I said quietly, giggling softly.

I found myself snuggling up closer to his warm body, although I wasn't much of a snuggler. My eyes drooped slowly, and I fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke up hours later, the smell of pancakes and bacon wafted into my nose, making my stomach growl. My eyes fluttered open, my stomach getting the better of me. I saw Percy looking at me, a grin on his face. "C'mon Sleeping Beauty! Time for breakfast!" he said, as Ben thundered down the stairs.

"Bweakfast!" Ben cried, pulling me to the table. I laughed.

"It smells good, Seaweed Brain. When did you learn to cook so well?" I asked, taking a seat.

"I'm a self-learner, Wise Girl. When you're a single father with a boy like Ben, you've got to know how to cook more than the regular men's standard- cereal," he said, grinning, as he flipped a pancake onto my plate. "You also have to know how to perform and cook at the same time. You womenfolk aren't the only ones who know how to multitask."

He flipped a pancake onto Ben's plate, and we digged in. Ben wolfed down four pancakes. He patted his stomach appreciatively, and licked his lips. Then he burped. "Esqueeze me," he said, giggling. Percy tickled him, with a mock anger face.

I laughed, then hiccupped. Percy turned to me, with an evil glint in his eyes. "Oh - hiccup- gods," I stammered.

"Hiccup," he said, and I hiccupped.

"Go to Hades," I growled.

* * *

Percy's PoV:

After another hour or so, Annabeth left.

I finished cleaning up the kitchen, and turned to Ben. "Do you want to go visit your Grandma Sally?" I asked him. He nodded, and ran upstairs to get ready. We left within fifteen minutes.

When we arrived, my mom was sitting in her rocking chair that she kept on the front porch, cradling a cup of coffee in her wrinkled hands. She smiled as I drove up onto the driveway. I got Ben out of the car, and went to greet my mom. "Hey, Mom," I said, giving her a hug. Then she gave Ben a hug, who happily jumped into her arms.

"Gwandmaw Sawee!" he cried.

"Its so nice to see you," she said, smiling warmly at Ben and I. She took us into the house, where she made my favorite for Ben and I- hot chocolate with honey. We sat at the kitchen table. Ben was trying to catch all of the marshmallows floating around, his tongue sticking slightly out of the side of his mouth, a strange habit of his when he's concentrating. He held the cup to his mouth, and just poured it all in. When he put it back down, a chocolate milk moustache was above his top lip, and he giggled, licking it off.

"Are we going to have a funeral for Paul?" I asked her, after a few moments of silence. She didn't answer for a while.

Then her eyes met mine, and there- I didn't see sadness, but hope. "He would want a small ceremony. Nothing to drastic, just a simple occaision. Maybe a few family members, and some family friends," she said, fiddling with her thumbs. I nodded. "How about we do it this weekend? I- I've put it off for such a long time, but... I think now, he'd want it in winter. He always loved winter, did you know? It was his favorite season," she said wistfully.

I stared at my cup, watching the marshmallows get smaller as they "melted".

"This weekend? On Sunday?" I asked. Sally nodded.

"I'll call some others. You can call some people, too," she said. We sat in silence again, as I looked up at the memories that she held in this kitchen. There weren't as many as there were in our old apartment, but still.

We moved to the living room, where I found the small shelf where my mom had put my first two trophies. I frowned a little as I remembered the time where I threw a fit about the number of trophies I had:

_Tears rolled down my face._

_I had just come back from my soccer awards ceremony, where they'd given trophies for some stuff, like "All-Star Player" or "Team Favorite". I remembered yelling at my mom, asking her why she'd signed me up for that stupid team anyway._

_In my hand, a tiny, plastic trophy read "Participation". _

_"EVERYONE ELSE GOT TWO TROPHIES!" I screamed, my anger flooding out in tears. My mom had wrapped her arms around me, comforting me._

_"You're special in your own way, Percy. Hey- maybe they couldn't come up with an award for someone who is as good as you," she said, playing with my hair. I sniffled, but didn't protest. You never get too old for your mom to tell you ego-boosting lies._

When I turned to my mom, I could feel a tear leaking out of my eye. Mom and Annabeth had always called me one of those sensitive guys- and they say its a good thing. But it kinda lowers my masculinity, don't ya think?

"I love you, Mom, you know that, right?" I said, taking her hand in mine. She nodded, a small smile forming at her lips. Then she gestured me to follow her to the fireplace, where a small black box was perched on the white tile.

She handed the white box to me, and pressed it into my hands.

"This is the ring your father gave me, as a token- a reminder. When you find your special person, you give that to her. It means a lot, son," she said. I looked into her eyes, and nodded. "You know who I'm talking about, don't you?" she asked, eyebrows raised. I smiled.

I thought I'd never have the guts to admit it, but now, out of all times, it seemed right.

"I know. As soon as possible," I promised, hugging her.

* * *

On the car drive back, I made a phone call.

"Hey- Annabeth? Yeah, uh, do you wanna go ice skating tomorrow?"

* * *

**Cheesy ending to the chapter?**

**Review!**


	26. Skating

**AN: Hey guys! I'm glad you all liked last chapter! **

**The idea has been chosen! Read on! This chapter leads to... the next chapter. ;)**

**I'm sorry that this chapter wasn't so long, I just didn't want to make it sound like I was rambling.**

**But,**

**Review!**

* * *

Percy's PoV:

"Why'd you invite me to go ice skating, if you didn't know how to skate, Seaweed Brain?" teased Annabeth. I was fearfully clutching the wall, my legs straining to get my balance back. "Even after our first date, you still don't know how to skate?" she teased.

I glared at her, losing focus, therefore falling onto the cold ice. "Ha-freaking-ha. That was rollerblading," I snarled. She held out her hand to me, and I grabbed it, pushing myself off the ice. She pulled me along, and I didn't lose my balance. "A San Fran girl knows how to ice skate?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"A New Yorker doesn't know how to ice skate?" she asked back, grinning. I glared back at her, sticking my tongue like a child. "I'll race you to the corner!" she teased, pointing to a spot a few feet away. She giggled as she watched me slip and fall.

"Yeah, be afraid Miss Chase! I'm as fast as lightning!" I retorted, rubbing my back in pain. I pushed off the wall, hitting the corner. "Ha- what now- oh, crap!" I said angrily, and I fell once more. Annabeth was besides herself in laughter, doubled over.

I could've sworn she wiped tears off her face. "Ha- I'm- ha, ha- I'm sorry- it's just- so funny!" she laughed. She reached to help me up, and I resisted the temptation to yank her down with me. She pulled me up, and I regained balance from the wall. She patted my back. "Let's get a coffee, then we'll come back, huh?" she asked, smiling, as if trying not to laugh.

"We'll see if I can make it there," I said, grinning, and wincing. We exited the rink, and took off our skates.

* * *

"How do you like it, here in NYC?" I asked her, as we drank our Starbucks.

She shrugged, setting it on the table in front of us. "It's exactly how I remembered it," she said, looking out onto the streets.

"Have you passed by your folks' old place?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I haven't gotten the chance to," she said. She wrapped her jacket tighter around her slim body, and shivered. "I'm still not used to the weather. What the Hades happened to Global Warming?" she said, grinning. I smiled at the pun.

The wind whipped through her hair, blowing a soft lemony scent over to me. I blushed. Was it me, or was Annabeth's face getting closer. We found ourselves leaning towards each other, our faces two or three inches away from each other. A hearty laughter rippled through the air, coming from the table next to ours, snapping us back to reality. We jumped and leaned away from each other, blushing deeply.

Then I took my unopened straw, and ripped off the top part. Sticking the straw in my mouth, I blew the wrapper towards Annabeth, the wind helping it. It hit her square in the face. "Seaweed Brain!" she exclaimed, and reached for her straw.

She did the same to me, this time missing my head by about an inch. "Missed!" I said childishly. I laughed.

An elderly couple passed us, the man whispering, "Ah, my dear. That right there is young love." His wife chuckled, and they winked at us. I didn't know who was redder- me or Annabeth.

* * *

When we returned to the rink, we noticed there were less children, and more adults. More adults meaning, more couples rubbing it in our faces.

I tentatively stepped out onto the ice, my skates bound tightly to my feet. "The Almighty Perseus- afraid of ice," teased Annabeth.

"I'm not afraid of ice. The ice is afraid of me," I lied through my clenched teeth. I clutched the wall, my knuckles white. "I'm probably the only adult holding onto the wall, aren't I?" I asked, my face tomato red.

Annabeth patted my shoulder. "Don't worry, there's a large Marge over there who is," she said reassuringly. I nodded.

We did a few laps around the rink, with of course, Annabeth holding onto my wrist, or else it would've taken double the time to make one lap. She pulled me along, and we talked about camp, our parents, and some other boring adult stuff. I only slipped once after that, and Annabeth decided it was time for me to go on my own. She suddenly let go of my wrist, and for a few seconds, I was gliding smoothly across the ice. Then I noticed what was happening. Losing all of my balance, I fell over, butt first.

"Damnit!" I cursed, wincing as the pain registered.

Annabeth skated over to me. "Sorry! I thought you were ready," she apologized. I shrugged, and pulled myself back up.

All of a sudden, some teenager skated over, brushing roughly against Annabeth. She fell down on top of me, pushing me back down onto the ice. "What the-" I started, shocked. Annabeth was sprawled on top of me, limbs flailing. She managed to push her torso off me, so that she was looking at me. We stared at each other, until I felt some pain down below. "Uh- Annabeth? You're kneeing me in a place that should never be kneed," I croaked.

"Sorry!" she stammered, and rolled off me. Someone helped us up, and skated away before we could thank them. I brushed myself off, then looked down at Annabeth. "I- I-" she began, but I cut her off.

With a kiss.

Her lips were as soft as I remembered, a blissful feeling filling my body. When we paused for air, I grinned at her. "Stop apologizing."

* * *

**AN: I'm so beast, I put two Author's Notes! Ha!**

**How'd you like it?**

**Corny? Bad? Strange? Boring?**

**If it's _that _bad, I'll change it... :'(**

**Review?...**


End file.
